Investigating Malfoy
by x.Chrissy.x
Summary: Narcissa Malfoy gave up her life to save Draco. Can Hermione and Draco pretend to be in love in order to figure out who is trying to kill him? Will they realize it's not just pretend?
1. Chapter 1

"Hermione."

Harry peered into my office. I looked up from my papers and smiled when he came through the doorway, dark hair messy as always. His auror robes were slightly wrinkled and swayed around him as he walked. He hadn't changed that much in the last few years. He still had a boyish face but being an auror had definitely helped put some meat on his bones. He had grown a few inches as well, a little late, but better late than never. I could tell he always hated being so much shorter than Ron. He had done a good job catching up, being only an inch or so shorter now.

I worked for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement in the Ministry of Magic. I usually worked with the aurors in their investigations though mine was mostly a desk job. I had enough of chasing dark wizards and witches around during the War. The aurors would collect the information and I would process it, trying to make sense of it. It was like a big puzzle and I really did like puzzles.

My office was neat and well decorated. In the middle was a dark mahogany desk with matching high backed office chair. There were two bookshelves on either side of the desk against the wall full of books on curses, wards, dark magic, evidence collecting and other useful topics. Not to mention a couple of Sherlock Holmes books just because they made me smile. I had a filing cabinet behind me with a vase of flowers on top of it. And of course, the walls had a few pictures, mostly of Harry, Ron and the Weasleys waving at the camera. A still photo of my parents sat on my desk.

"Hi Harry!" I said as he sat in the chair in front of my desk. I put the papers in front of me into a pile on the side of my desk. I would have to continue to work on those later. "How're things?"

"Not bad. Work hasn't been too busy. But, Ginny is still dropping hints that she wants me to propose. She's losing her subtlety too! Yesterday, there was a jewelry magazine that was 'accidentally' left at my flat and just happened to have her ring size on it." Harry ran his hand through his hair while shaking his head slightly.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Wow...she...really...isn't...subtle..." I gasped between breaths while trying not fall off my chair laughing.

"You're not helping." Harry deadpanned. But then he cracked a smile. "It's not that I don't want to marry her eventually, I just wish she'd let me do it on my own. I mean, we're only 23!"

"Yea, I know..." I was in the middle of agreeing with Harry when all of the sudden Ron burst into the room. His blue eyes were wide with panic.

"Harry! Quick! An unforgivable has been used at Malfoy Manor! We need to go! Now!"

Harry was already out of his seat and heading to the door when I piped up, "What happened?"

Ron looked back at me and gave me a half smile that apologized for forgetting I was even there. His bright red hair was still kind of shaggy and eschewed. He hadn't gotten much taller over the years, I'm fairly certain he stopped growing at 17. But like Harry, Auror training had filled him out. The little bit of pudge he had on him at Hogwarts was gone and replaced by muscle. He wasn't as tone as Harry, but he was bigger.

"Oh, hi Hermione. The wards we placed around the manor just alerted us that an unforgivable was used. We don't have any details but I'm sure anything or anyone we find will be sent to you. We'll start sending things back as soon as we can." With that Ron and Harry were out of my office and I'm sure were apparating with a team of Aurors to Malfoy Manor.

I knew that the Ministry had put up wards on the Manor after the War. It was part of Narcissa Malfoy's sentence. Lucius had obviously been sent to Azkaban but Narcissa had been given a lesser punishment due to helping keep Harry alive. Instead, she was put under house arrest for 2 years. Part of the agreement was to allow the Ministry to put wards up, not only to keep tabs on the Malfoys but also for her own protection. They had put up wards to alert the Ministry if an unforgivable curse or dark magic was used. Draco had been pardoned due to his age and the fact that he was only following Voldemort because the lives of his parents were at stake. Harry had testified what he heard the night Dumbledore died and what he had seen in his visions. That was enough for the Wizengamot to pardon him.

The next thing I knew, evidence had started to show up at my office. Pictures started to appear on my desk. Small things usually showed up in my office, the bigger things usually went to a storage room down the hall. I picked up a picture of the Manor. I felt a shiver run up my spine knowing that the last time I saw the house was during the War. Those were memories I didn't feel like reliving so I quickly pushed them down. I focused on the next picture; it looked to be the entrance of the Manor. Next was what looked to be a sitting room. I picked up the next one and my breath caught. There, on what looked like the floor of the sitting room, was Narcissa Malfoy. She was lying on her stomach, her face looking to her left. She looked like she had fallen, maybe tripped over something. Her arms were raised above her head and it looked like she hadn't even tried to brace for the fall. She was wearing a dark green dress, a very expensive dress by the looks of it. I looked at her face and noticed the vacant expression in her eyes that said she was dead. I felt my stomach do a flip. The unforgivable must have been Avada Kedavra. But who and why?

Someone cleared his throat and alerted me to the fact that someone was in my office.

I looked up and tried to put on a small smile despite what I just saw. I put the picture back down on my desk. "Oh, hello Seamus. I thought you would be with the other Aurors at the Manor." Seamus Finnegan was standing in front of my desk. He ran a hand through his sandy hair and looked at me. He had a small frown on his face and looked a bit disheveled.

"I was. However, I had to bring someone back for you to interview." He didn't look straight at me when he said this and I realized that he had to have brought back Draco Malfoy. "It wasn't a pretty sight at the Manor. We're still trying to figure out exactly what happened."

"Is he a suspect?" I asked, needing to know how to handle him.

"No, at least, not yet. He was at the scene though. We need information. Don't let him go."

"Okay, got it. Send him in then. Good luck at the Manor." I said, pushing my hair back behind my ears and sitting up straight. He smiled slightly and left the room.

It must have been only a minute but it felt like forever. I hadn't seen Draco Malfoy since the War and I really had no desire to see him again. Ever. I took a deep breath and then he came in. He looked awful, really. He was wearing black pants and a white collared shirt that had the first two buttons undone. His sleeves were rolled up past his elbows. His white blond hair was everywhere and his hands were balled up into tight fists. The knuckles on his right hand looked red as if he had punched something recently. He was looking at the ground and stood in the doorway. He looked taller than I remembered, his frame filling most of my doorway. I might have been slightly intimidated if I didn't know that I had the entire department of Aurors outside my door.

"Malfoy." I said, trying my best to be civil. I couldn't let my personal feelings get in the way of my job after all. He looked up and I gasped slightly. His face was paler than I remembered, but perhaps that was due to this situation. His silver gray eyes were cloudy. I couldn't tell if it was anger or sadness, maybe it was both, in his eyes and his lips were set in fine line. He had a red welt on his cheek that I could tell would turn into a bruise.

"Granger." He bit out. He stared at me for a little bit before he looked around, as if only now realizing where he was. "Why the hell do I have to talk to you?" His eyes traveled back to my face.

His condescending tone brought me back to myself. "Sit down, please. I'm part of the investigative committee. I am to interview you about what happened." I tried to be professional but his withering gaze was starting to get to me. I started to fidget more and I tried really hard to keep from tapping my fingers on the desk.

"What if I don't want to talk to you?" He sneered.

"Then we have a problem but nothing a couple of Aurors and veritaserum can't fix. We could do this the easy way or the hard way." I bluffed. I couldn't administer veritaserum without him being a suspect, but he didn't need to know that. Geez, I hadn't seen him in 5 years, how could he shake me like this still?

"Fine, I'll talk to you but then I want to get the hell out of here." He said as he sat down and stared at his hands.

"No promises on whether you can leave. But I'll try to make the questions fast." I said as I grabbed my quill and notebook. I loved the quills that wrote everything down for you. It let me focus more on the conversation and less on writing. "So, let's start with the obvious. What happened?"

Malfoy looked up at me and then saw the picture on my desk. He paused for a moment as he looked at the picture of his mother dead on the floor. I saw him take a breath and said, "Fine, you want to know what happened? I'll tell you what happened and then you can use your little know-it-all brain to figure it all out."


	2. Chapter 2

Malfoy looked back down at his hands for a moment before he looked back up at me. I almost felt bad for the man in front of me until I saw his gray eyes harden and he started his story.

"I was upstairs coming out of my room when I heard my mother yelling, not shouting, but yelling as if she was in an argument. I wasn't too worried, who could be in the manor? So, I grabbed my wand from my dresser, stuck it in my back pocket and came down the stairs. I walked into my mother's sitting room and there in the corner of the room was my father. I saw his eyes go wide at the sight of me and my mother turned around. She told me to leave but my father yelled 'No!' and told me to stay."

"Your father? He's in Azkaban." I said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"No, he was in my mother's sitting room. Are you going to listen or are you going to interrupt?" He sneered, treating me as if I was a 5 year old. I just nodded my head and watched my quill continue to make notes. "Anyway, my _father_then started to yell at me about what a blood traitor I am for turning away from the Dark Lord. I could hear my mother begging him to stop. He walked over and grabbed her by the shoulders and told her to shut up. I went over to try to help her and then he turned around and slapped me across the face. I fell to the floor and he turned to me completely. But at least he let go of her. He said something about how he was going to fix what should have been done years before. He raised his wand, pointed it at me and said 'Avada Kedavra.' However, my mother ran in front of me and the curse hit her instead. The curse alerted the Aurors and they were at the Manor almost immediately. My father apparated away after hearing the Aurors arrive. And that's the story, now go arrest my father." Malfoy leaned back in his chair and looked back at the picture on my desk. "He should get the Kiss for this." He said under his breath.

I looked over at him and wondered if he was telling the truth. If his father had broken out of Azkaban, we would have been the first to know. His face was starting to turn black and blue and his knuckles were still bright red. "What happened to your knuckles, then? Why are they red?"

He looked at me as if surprised by my observation. "I punched a wall after my mother was killed, better a wall than one of those nosy Aurors."

"What happened after the Aurors arrived?"

"Why does that matter? I just told you what happened, why aren't you looking for my father?!" Malfoy yelled.

I sighed. "Penny!" I yelled out to the secretary outside of my office.

Penny popped her head into the doorway. She had blond hair and a young pretty face. She couldn't have been any more than 20 years old. She was short though, or at least shorter than me. But had a fairly petite body. She smiled and said, "Yes, Hermione?"

"Have you heard anything about Lucius Malfoy being released or escaping from Azkaban?"

She knit her eyebrows together and said, "No, Hermione. I can double check but I am 99% certain no one has been released and no one has escaped. We'd be the first to know."

"That won't be necessary, Penny. Thank you." I said as I looked at Malfoy. "See, your father is safely in Azkaban. He did not kill your mother."

At this, Malfoy stood up and slammed his palms on my desk. "Are you calling me a liar?! I just told you that I _saw_ him!" He yelled. He leaned over my desk and stared at my face. His eyes were storming and his breath was ragged. He was so close that I could feel his breath on my face.

I leaned farther back in my chair, attempting to put some space between us. "No, Malfoy. I'm not saying you're lying. I'm just saying it wasn't your father who killed your mother. The real question you should be asking yourself is; who was trying to kill you while impersonating your father?" I asked as the pieces started to loosely come together. Obviously, it wasn't his father. And apparently, Malfoy was the main target, not his mother. But who was it and why did they want to kill Malfoy? "Look, once I get debriefed by the Aurors that went to your Manor, I'll have more information, but for now, someone's trying to kill you and I suggest you stay put."

Malfoy sat back down at this. His eyes were wide as if he finally understood what I was trying to say. "But who would want to kill me, now?" He whispered.

"That's what we need to figure out, Malfoy." I wondered about his use of the word "now". Was there someone who wanted to kill him before?

As if he sensed the question, "Of course people wanted to kill me before. Do you not remember the War? How daft can you be?" He said as he shook his head.

"Look Malfoy, of course I remember the War. I need to look at all angles here, if someone wanted to kill you before maybe they want to kill you now." I said, feeling my temper rise. I was starting to lose my patience.

"Then you along with Weasley and Potter better be at the top of the list." He sneered.

I started to rub my temples. He was already giving me a headache. Luckily, at that moment, Harry and Ron showed up at my office. They looked exhausted. Harry's dark hair was sticking up in some places and his robes were really wrinkled. Ron had taken off his robe and was just in a pair of dark slacks and a blue collared shirt sleeve button up shirt. They stopped abruptly when they saw Malfoy sitting in the chair.

"Malfoy." They both said as they walked in.

I could tell he was about to say something rude when I decided to jump in. "Penny! Could you come here for a moment?"

Penny came back to the door and blushed when she saw Ron. Well, that was something else I didn't feel like dealing with right now. "Could you please take Malfoy here and get him some medical attention for the bruise on his face. Also, get him something to eat. It's about lunch time. Bring him back in about an hour so we can continue...talking."

"Sure thing!" She chirped. Ron had looked over at her and she smiled widely at him. I saw him blush a little and nod his head in acknowledgment.

Malfoy stood up and looked like he was going to say something but decided against it. He just shook his head and walked towards the door. He hit Harry's shoulder as he passed him. Harry scowled but Malfoy didn't stop. He just continued to follow Penny out of the office.

I sighed as I leaned back in my chair. I flipped the page on my notebook so my quill could start taking notes on a clean sheet. "Okay boys, take a seat and tell me what you found." Harry sat down in the chair Malfoy had just vacated. Ron accio'd a chair from outside and closed the door before he sat down as well. "So, what happened?"

Harry decided to start. "We had no problems getting into the house. In fact, the door was open. We went through the foyer and into the sitting room whose door was also open. We found Malfoy kneeling next to his mother on the ground. He looked up when he saw us enter the room and proceeded to stand up and walk over to the wall to punch it. We asked him what happened and he said his father killed his mother. He seemed a little disoriented so we asked for his wand. He handed it over to us and we did priori incantatem on it and determined he was not the one that had cast the unforgivable." Harry then reached into his robe and put the wand on my desk. "We sent him to you after that because we didn't want him to interrupt our investigation. Luckily he seemed out of it enough to not put up a fight."

"Yea, that was a big surprise. I was hoping I'd have a reason to hit him." Ron muttered next to Harry.

I shot Ron a discouraging look and he shrugged his shoulders and said, "What? Just telling the truth."

I looked at Harry and he continued."We checked the wards and it looked like whoever came in had permission. The Ministry's wards were obviously there but so were Malfoy's. We had taken down the apparation ward so we could come in but unfortunately, that let the murderer escape. We had checked to make sure Lucius Malfoy was still in Azkaban and were told that he is so we can rule him out. We sent you all the pictures we took. Nothing was taken from the Manor. Nothing was even so much as moved. It looked as if nothing had been out of place other than Narcissa lying dead on the floor. It was really strange."

"It was really eerie in there. I couldn't wait to leave." Ron agreed.

I told them everything that Malfoy had told me and it seemed like the stories lined up. "I think someone wants Malfoy dead. And I think it's someone that he knows." I said after thinking for a moment.

"Yea, but why pretend to be Lucius?" Ron inquired. "Why not just try to kill him?"

"Maybe it was to buy some time. Maybe it was to get in and not be automatically thrown out?" Harry suggested.

I thought about it some more. Things just weren't lining up. How did they get past the wards? How did they disguise themselves? Polyjuice? Disillusionment charm? This was going to be a tough case.

"Are we allowed to give him back his wand?" I asked, looking at the piece of wood on my desk.

"Since he's not a suspect, we can't keep it. So, I guess so." Harry responded. Ron shook his head but didn't say anything. We were all silent for a moment, lost in our own thoughts.

"Well, we need to protect him, you know. We can't just send him back to the Manor." I said.

Ron jumped out of his seat. "Protect him?! That git? He doesn't deserve it!"

"He may not deserve it, but it's our job." Harry agreed. "Right now, someone is trying to kill him."

Just then there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" I said loudly.

Malfoy walked in and leaned against the doorway. He looked better than he did before. The bruise on his face had faded and you could only see a bit of redness and discoloration. His knuckles were back to normal and it looked like he cleaned up a bit. His hair was back to its perfect self and his shirt sleeves were rolled back down to his wrists. He had gained a little bit of color back in his face although he was still really pale. He looked around at the occupants of the room and rolled his eyes. "Can I go now? I don't think I can stand this place for one more bloody second."

"We were just talking about that Malfoy. We don't think it's safe for you to go back home." I said. "We have to figure out where you can stay. You need protection."

"Protection? You three plan on _protecting_ me? You might as well kill me yourselves! You probably are working with the murderer and plan on giving me to them!" Malfoy laughed incredulously as he said this.

"Don't be ridiculous, Malfoy. We're trying to _not_ get you killed." I said but looking at Ron, I wasn't quite positive he believed it.

"Well, he ain't staying at the Burrow! That's for sure!" Ron shouted.

"Like I would want to stay with your poor as dirt family anyway. I would probably be more comfortable sleeping outside...it might even be cleaner than that hovel you call a home." Malfoy sneered at him.

Harry interjected, "Ginny will kill me if he stays with me."

I sighed, "Fine, he can stay with me then." Why do I always have to be the mature one?

"You?! What are you going to do? Scare the murderer away with your bushy hair??" Malfoy said. Bushy hair? My hair wasn't bushy anymore! Maybe it was a bit frizzy, but it was curly dammit. Stupid Malfoy.

"No no, he can't stay with you Hermione. That's not a good idea." Ron objected.

"He's right, Hermione. I don't think that's a good idea, either." Harry agreed.

"Then what do you two suggest?" It was obvious neither one of them wanted to take him in.

"Don't I get a say in this?" Malfoy said.

"No, not really." I answered. He looked like he was about to argue but instead he just crossed his arms and looked pissed off.

"Okay Hermione. I'll take him. Okay?" Harry finally said.

I looked at Harry and he looked like he was in physical pain just thinking about living with Malfoy. "It would probably be safer to move him around." I argued. "Let's switch him off between the two of us. I'll have him for a week, and then you'll have him for a week. And the sooner we solve this case, the quicker we can get rid of him. I'll take him first."

Harry nodded his head looking slightly relieved. Ron looked happy that he wasn't getting stuck with him. And Malfoy, well, he still looked pissed.

"Fine, whatever. At least I don't have to stay with the Weasel's family. I would go blind from looking at all that ugly red hair." Malfoy spit out.

I saw Ron turn red and he looked like he was about to retaliate when I cut him off. "Look Malfoy, we need to work together if we want to figure out who's trying to kill you. That means you need to cooperate. The quicker we figure it out, the quicker you can go back home and get out of our hair." I rationalized.

Malfoy looked at me as if he was weighing his options. As if he was pondering whether it was worth his time and effort to be cooperative. "Okay, fine. I'll be cooperative with the investigation but don't expect me to be civil to you or anything."

"I didn't think you were capable of being civil, Malfoy. So don't worry, I wasn't expecting anything of the sort."

Harry and Ron just looked at each other. Probably happy they didn't have to deal with Malfoy staying at their place this week. "Harry, Ron, could you escort Malfoy back to his Manor to pick up whatever he needs while he's away." At this they frowned a little but nodded their heads.

Malfoy then spotted his wand sitting on my desk. He walked over and snatched it. "I am taking this." He said as if he was challenging me to deny him.

"Whatever Malfoy, I was about to give it back to you anyway." He seemed slightly disappointed that I didn't take his bait but then tucked his wand into his back pocket.

Harry and Ron stood up and walked to the door. "C'mon Malfoy." Harry said as he walked out. Malfoy turned around and walked out after them. Finally, I was alone again. I put my head in my hands for a moment and took a deep breath. How was I going to tolerate Malfoy living with me and not kill him? It was going to be a really long week. I leaned back in my chair and stared up at the ceiling. Maybe I could take the rest of the day off to get everything settled. It was already mid-afternoon. I'd only be leaving a couple of hours early.

I stood up, walked out of my office and stopped at Penny's desk. She was sitting there reading a copy of Witch Weekly. "Penny, could you please put me down as working out of the office for the next week. I need to babysit Malfoy and do some investigative work. Can I also have a copy of the Auror's report from today's incident?"

"Sure thing, Hermione. I'll put it on your calendar." She looked around and found the report on her desk. She quickly made a copy and handed it to me. "And here's a copy of the report." She said smiling.

"Thanks." I said as I took the papers from her. I walked back into my office and sat down. I looked at the pictures of the crime scene still on my desk and put them into a neat pile. I reached down and grabbed my black satchel from under my desk. I took my notebook and my quill and put it into the satchel with the pictures. I looked around to see if there was anything else I wanted to take home with me. Satisfied that I had everything I needed I grabbed the report and started to look it over. It said everything that Harry had told me with a few more details on the crime scene. I would need tonight to think through this case. I always thought better with a glass of wine, anyway.

"Okay Granger, I got my things." Malfoy said from the doorway. I looked up to see he was carrying a small brown bag. The initials DM were on embroidered with black thread. He must have shrunk everything to fit in there. He had also changed his clothes. He was wearing black pants with a dark green long sleeve shirt. The bruise that was on his face was now almost completely gone.

I stuffed the report into my satchel and stood up. "Okay, let's go to my place and set you up in my spare room."

As I walked to the door I heard him mutter, "I can't believe I have to live with a mudblood."

I turned to face him. "While you are under my..._protection_ could we refrain from using that word?" I asked. Suddenly I felt like I was at Hogwarts again. Great, is this what it's going to be like the whole time? We really need to solve this case fast.

"Yea, whatever, mu-Granger." He responded and then followed me out of the office.

"Penny, I'm leaving for the day if anyone asks." I said as I walked past her desk. I walked down the hall over to the common fireplace and picked up a bunch of floo powder. I turned around to see Malfoy grabbing some as well. I threw down the powder, walked into the green flames and said, "Hermione's flat!" A few seconds later, I walked into my living room as Malfoy appeared behind me.

"Nice flat." Malfoy commented sarcastically behind me. I turned around to see him surveying the room. "Should have known it would look like a muggle home."

I shot him a glare. "Well, get used to it, you ungrateful git." I said as I walked into the kitchen. My headache was getting worse. I was definitely going to need a headache potion before I dealt with him anymore.


	3. Chapter 3

I awoke fairly early the next morning. I wanted to try to get through the Auror's report and the pictures. However, I couldn't help but just lay there and stare at the ceiling. My mind was thinking of all the changes that just happened. How is it, in one day, I went from not caring what Malfoy was doing with his life to having him sleep in the room next to mine? I snuggled into the blankets a little more, the floral print comforter coming up to my chin. I looked around my bedroom. It wasn't anything exciting. There was a white painted wood dresser against the right wall. My bed was a queen size and sat in the middle of the room with a white bedside table next to it. A lamp sat on top. I saw three doors. One that went out to the hallway, one that went to the bathroom and one that went to my walk in closet. I sighed, for the first but I was sure not the last time today. Finally, I got up and put a bathrobe on over my pajamas.

I went to the kitchen and decided to start some breakfast. I took out some eggs, bacon, and a frying pan. Since I had to cook for two, I took out double of everything. I started the coffee maker. I definitely was going to need coffee today. I was surprised last night went so smoothly. I had left the kitchen to see Draco still standing in the living room. I wordlessly showed him to his room, he closed the door, and I hadn't heard from him since.

I heard the guest room's door open and close and Draco entered the kitchen. He was wearing what looked like green silk pants and a plain white t-shirt. Somehow, his hair looked perfect. He kept it loose now, much better than the slicked back days of Hogwarts. He looked tired and sat down at the kitchen table.

"G'morning Malfoy." I said over my shoulder. All I heard was a grunt behind me. "Would you like some coffee?" I was determined to not let him get to me today. And if that took me being civil, well, how hard could it be? I grabbed a mug, poured some coffee and set it in front of him. He raised an eyebrow at me but then looked back down at the coffee. He saw the cream and sugar already on the table. I turned back to the bacon and eggs in the frying pan, scooped everything onto two plates and returned to the table.

I might have heard something that vaguely sounded like "thanks" but it was just as likely another grunt. We ate in relative silence other than the scraping of utensils on the plates. I heard a pecking at the kitchen window and turned around to see a gray owl. I knew right away it was a Ministry owl. So, I got up, opened the window and it flew in. I pet it on the head, retrieved my letter, and it flew out. I closed the window and sat back at the table. What could they want now?  
_  
__Hermione,_

_We need you to come into the office for a meeting about the Malfoy Investigation. Please come in at 10 am. Bring Draco Malfoy._

_Gawain Robards  
__Head of Auror Department_

"We have to go back to the Ministry, Malfoy" I looked at the clock on the wall. "We have an hour."

"What for?" He asked between bites.

"Don't know. It just says that they're having a meeting about the investigation and that I should bring you with me." I answered.

"Fine, whatever." He said as he finished his breakfast and left the room. I heard the shower turn on and figured I should get ready too. I was grateful for having two bathrooms in this place. I put the dishes in the sink and returned to my room.

I walked into my bathroom and started the shower as well. As I got out and dried my hair, I could tell that I was going to have a bad hair day. I looked for a comfortable pair of brown pants and a purple short sleeve shirt. I knew that it was cold out, but it gets really warm under my robes. I put my black work robes on and attempted to make my hair somewhat manageable. I walked out of the room and was next to the fireplace by 9:45. I watched the guest room door open and Malfoy walked out. He was wearing a green sweater with khakis. He walked over to the fireplace and I passed him the bag of floo powder. I threw it in the fireplace and walked into the green flames. "Ministry of Magic, Auror Department!"

I walked out of the fireplace and brushed off my robes. Malfoy came in behind me and followed me to the conference room.

I walked in and saw everyone already sitting around the table. At the head of the table was Gawain Robards. He was a short pudgy man with graying hair and was wearing black Ministry issued robes. Harry, Ron and Angelina Johnson were on his left. Seamus was on his right. There were two empty seats next to Seamus. Malfoy and I walked around the room and sat in the chairs.

"Okay, now that everyone is here, let's start the meeting." Gawain said looking around the table. Everyone other than Gawain looked uncomfortable at having Malfoy at the table. "The general consensus is that Draco was targeted by someone he knows, correct?" Everyone nodded their head. "Okay, I've talked to the other senior aurors about this and we all agree that someone needs to go undercover to monitor Draco's friends for suspicious activities and to keep Draco with someone at all times."

Everyone looked even more uneasy after this. No one wanted to be glued to Draco's hip. As I looked around the table, I realized that Harry and Ron were looking at their hands and everyone else was looking at me. Oh, crap.

"Oh, no. Don't even look at me like that." I said as soon as I realized who everyone had in mind.

"Hermione, you're the only one who could do it. There's no way Harry or Ron could get away with being Draco's buddies." Gawain argued.

It suddenly hit me that I was the only one not in on this plan. That's why they wanted me here. "And I can?! There's no way anyone would believe that I am friends with the boy that tortured me all throughout school."

Gawain cleared his throat. "That's true. That's why you wouldn't be his friend...you're going to pretend to be his girlfriend."

"WHAT?!" Harry, Ron, Malfoy and myself screamed.

"You never said anything about _girl_friend, Gawain!" Harry yelled. "I wouldn't have agreed to that!"

"That's why I didn't tell you, Harry." Gawain said as if it was obvious.

"There's no way anyone would believe I'm dating a mud...erm...Granger." Draco yelled.

I noticed Seamus and Angelina were staying quiet in this. They probably didn't want to be involved. I didn't blame them. I didn't either.

"Look!" Gawain said, raising his voice. "It's our best option. We're going to say that Draco ran into Hermione after his mother's death when he came to the Ministry. We're going to _pretend_ like they got along and Hermione helped him through his grief. We're going to say that they decided to see more of each other and Hermione offered her place for him to stay. And then we're going to say that they decided to give dating a chance"

"Why? How does this help the investigation at all?!" I pleaded, hoping they'd realize this was a huge mistake.

"Because, you can then accompany Draco to his friends' houses. You can see how they interact. You can keep an eye on everyone. You will obviously be under constant surveillance every time you go to any of these places for your own security." Gawain reasoned.

As I thought about it, he was right. I hated the idea of even pretending to like Malfoy, but it was the only way to inconspicuously keep tabs on potential suspects. I grudgingly nodded my consent and Gawain smiled.

Malfoy looked at everyone as if they were crazy. "You expect me to convince my pure-blooded friends that I am infatuated with a mud...muggleborn?" Draco asked incredulously. "I think I'd rather take my chances with a murderer than have to be nice to Granger, in public no less."

"Draco, please understand that we have your safety at heart here. We want to keep you alive." Gawain rationalized. He could see that Malfoy was not about to agree to this so he did the only thing he could. "Okay Draco, forget about your safety. How about your mother? Don't you want justice for her death? She gave her life for you."

I took in a breath. Gawain was going for broke. If this didn't get him to agree, nothing would. Draco looked down at his hands and looked like he was struggling. A volley of emotions were going through his face. Finally, he looked back up. He looked like he was about to be sentenced to death. "Fine. I'll pretend to like Granger, _for my mother_."

"Excellent!" Gawain said. "Although, just for appearances sake, I daresay you both should stop calling each other by your surnames."

Ugh. I had to call him Draco, now? This was getting worse. If it wasn't my job, there's no way I would have even entertained this idea.

"I believe, Draco, that you should continue to stay with Hermione and not switch over to Harry's." At this, I saw Harry sigh in relief. Lucky. "We have intercepted a few owls that went to the Manor for you. Because of the investigation, we read them to make sure there wasn't anything we needed to be aware of." Gawain handed the letters to Draco who scowled at him.

"You kick me out of my house. You force me to pretend to like someone I despise. And now you're reading my mail?! This just keeps getting better!" Draco snarled sarcastically. He quickly went through the letters.

"They're mostly condolences about your loss. Blaise Zabini and Pansy Nott seemed most concerned. We think it would be a good idea if you owled them back to tell them that you were doing well and would try to visit in the coming weeks. Pansy also mentioned a holiday ball she was throwing on Saturday. We think it would be a good idea for you to attend and to take Hermione with you. Consider it a 'coming out' as a couple for the two of you." Gawain explained. A small smile playing on his face. Did he enjoy torturing me?

I was surprised to see Draco nod and not say anything. He must have been thinking the plan through.

"I would also suggest that the two of you go out to dinner tonight. Go somewhere nice. Somewhere where the press might be so that the public can see that you two are together and _enjoy_ each others company." I groaned. Was he serious?

"Don't you think this is going a bit far, Gawain?" Harry asked and Ron nodded enthusiastically.

Gawain looked at Harry for a moment before responding. "We have to make this look real otherwise it will put Hermione in even more danger when she's around this lot. If the murderer figures out she's a spy, they'll hurt or even kill her. We need to do this as well as possible."

Angelina then piped up for the first time. "I agree with Gawain. If they don't play the part, Hermione would be worse off. We need to make sure they look like a couple even if we have to dictate their dates." She smiled shyly.

They were right. And damn it, I knew they were right. This might be the hardest assignment I had ever had. So much for a desk job, right? "Fine, we'll go out. Malf...Draco and I will go to that new restaurant at Diagon Alley. _Everyone_ will see us there." It was going to take a lot to start calling him Draco.

Draco looked at me and then looked me up and down. "_If_ you're going to be my _girlfriend_, I will have to take you shopping. I can't have someone that looks like _that"_he spit "be associated with me."

My eyes turned into slits and I glared at him. "How dare you..."

Gawain sighed. "Hermione, while Draco might not have said it nicely, he has a point. You have to also look the part of Draco's girlfriend. It can come out of the Ministry's budget if it has to."

"No, I'll pay for it. Now that my mother is gone, I have plenty of money." Draco said offhandedly.

"Even better. Why don't you take the rest of the day off and spend time with Draco. Go to Diagon alley and go shopping. The exposure will be good." Gawain said. Everyone started to stand up when he cleared his throat. "Oh, one more thing. Please, look like a couple in public. I don't care what you look like at home but in public look like you're infatuated with each other. Hold hands and such."

The look on Draco's face was nothing short of disgusted. But even still, he turned around, grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the door. I could see everyone starting at us as I was pulled into the hallway. "Well, this is going to be interesting." I sighed.

"Interesting isn't quite the word I would use, Gran...Hermione." He said my name as if it left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Blimey, that's going to take getting used to." Harry said, referring to Malf...Draco calling me by me name.

Ron gave me a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry 'Mione. I wouldn't wish this on anyone."

Draco shot Ron a glare. "It's still better than being with a red headed weasel." He shot back.

"Okay, okay. Lets stop fighting. We have a lot to do today." I said. "Pansy's ball is only 2 days away and will be my first good look at all potential suspects. We need to come up with a plan on how to make the most of the time I will be there. Lets plan on meeting tomorrow to discuss how to get ready for the ball. 10am, back in the conference room." Everyone nodded their head.

Harry and Ron patted me on the back and gave me sympathetic looks. They left for their own duties and left Draco and I alone. "Okay, so where do we have to go, your highness?" I asked sarcastically.

"Haha. Funny. Like the pudgy guy said, you need to look the part. And you _definitely_ do not look like someone a Malfoy would date." He smirked. "We need to go to Madame Malkins for new robes. We need to go to that new clothing store to get you things to wear in general. And I supposed I should buy you some jewelry for you to wear to the ball." He looked me up and down again and looked like he was looking to see if he missed anything. "Oh, and we _absolutely_ need to go to a hair product store so we can tame that mane of yours."

Oh, how I hated him. I wanted to avada his ass right there. But I took a deep breath and remembered what Gawain said. It's part of my job. Lets just get it over with. "Okay Malf...Draco. Let's just go and get it over with."

We floo'd to Diagon Alley and our first stop was Madame Malkins. We walked in and heard the tinkle of a bell as we walked through the door.

Madame Malkin walked in from the back room. Her robes swishing behind her. "Oh! Hello Mr. Malfoy! And...Ms. Granger." She added with a quizzical look on her face. "How may I help you?"

"She needs some new robes." Draco said and sat down in one of the chairs. "Get her some of the robes in the newest style and put it on my account." He then grabbed a magazine and started to flip through it. We were obviously dismissed.

"Okay then. Ms. Granger, please follow me." She said as she led me through the back door. She had me try on at least ten robes. A lot of them in for the winter season. In the end, I picked out a dark blue robe that seemed to be made out of velvet. I also picked out a dark red robe that was made of silk. The prices were atrocious but Madame Malkin promised that I would be stunning.

We came out from the back and showed Draco the two robes we picked out. He looked at the robes and for a moment I thought he was going to say no. "Also get a dark green one in a formal style but in velour. I want whatever is the newest fashion for witches our age."

Madame Malkin nodded her head. "Asbolutely."

"That will be all then." He said as he put down his magazine. He looked over at me. "You will wear the green one to the ball." He stood up and went to the counter.

I was about to argue but thought better of it. He would probably know what I was expected to wear to a fancy ball held by former death eaters better than I would. And I didn't miss the Slytherin connotation of the color but thought it might make our "relationship" seem more real. Besides, he paid for it all.

We left the store with three boxes that he shrank and put in his pocket. We walked into the new casual clothing store called "The New Black." It looked very high end and I got lost as soon I stepped aside. I looked over to see Draco looking through a rack of clothing when a very pretty store associate walked right passed me and bee-lined to him. She had light brown hair that came down to her shoulders. She was tall and thin and was wearing jeans and a tight long sleeve shirt. She stopped in front of him and flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"Can I help you find something, sir?" She asked in what I imagined was her most flirtatious voice. I watched Draco give her a half smile and seemed to appraise her. He then happened to see me looking at them from over her shoulder and it looked like he remembered why he was here.

The half smile was replaced by a somewhat bored look. "Yes, actually. I need some clothing for...her." He said waving in my general direction.

The girl turned around to acknowledge me for the first time. She looked me up and down and a look of superiority flitted across her face. She turned back to him and smiled. "Clothes for your girlfriend, then?"

Draco paused for a moment. "Yes, my...girlfriend." He said with a look like he had just smelled something awful. "She needs some help with her fashion sense."

The girl turned around and muttered, "Indeed." She turned to me and finally addressed me. She put on a fake smile and said, "Well, what are you looking for then?"

"Well...I was thinking..." I had begun to say as I was cut off.

"She needs a new wardrobe. Money is of no matter." Draco said, giving her his card. "Here's the information for a new account."

"Sure thing, Mr...Malfoy." She said as she read the card and then slipped it into her pocket. "Very well, miss. Let's get you measured."

She took my measurements and two hours later we had 5 bags full of clothing and shoes. I never had so much clothing in my entire life. Draco had insisted I change out of my work robes and into one of my new outfits. I had to admit, the black pants and red silk top looked good on me. He had also bought me a new black pea coat that I wore on top of everything. I needed it since it was cold out, being December and all. Again, the bags were shrank and put in his pocket. I never thought it was fair that men got so much more room in their pockets than women.

We went into the hair salon next door where the stylist greeted us. She, of course, agreed with Draco when he pointed out how frizzy my hair was. So, she gave us a new bottle of sleekeazy (extra strength, apparently) and a bottle of some stuff that was supposed to add shine and smoothness. She sat me down in one of the chairs and showed me how to use them. And I had to admit, they made a big difference. Instead of my normal frizzy hair, the new sleekeazy made my hair smoother and more like slight curls instead of frizz. And the shine formula made my hair seem a little lighter in color and made it super smooth so that when I ran my hand through it, it seemed almost silky. My hair also had a shimmer in it that seemed to highlight my hair.

When she was finished, Draco nodded in approval. "Take a look in a mirror. See what being with a Malfoy can do for you?" He nodded towards the full length mirror behind me.

"Oh come on, it's not that diff..." I cut myself off when I turned around caught my reflection. He was right. I looked completely different. I looked lovely. And of course, I looked absolutely wealthy. But I guess there are some things that money can buy.

"Now I don't have to be so embarassed to be standing next to you." His comment snapped me out of my reverie.

I glared at him for a moment. "Whatever. Lets just go." I wasn't about to agree with him that I did indeed look better.

We stepped outside and walked down the alley. People were staring at us, surprised to see the two of us together. Suddenly, he grabbed my arm and pulled me into a store. I looked around and noticed that we were standing in a jewelry store. And not any jewelry store but Helena's, the most renown jewelry store in the wizarding world.

"Mr. Malfoy! Welcome! What can we do for you today?" A sales associate said, coming up to us. She looked friendly and definitely overenthusiastic. She was shorter and plumper but had enough jewelry on her that I was fairly certain you could see her from a mile away.

"I am looking for a nice set for her to wear to a holiday ball." He said nodding his head towards me.

"Oh! How nice! A present for your girlfriend?" She asked looking over at me. He just nodded.

"Well, I am Wendy. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss..." She said reaching out her hand.

"Granger. Hermione Granger." I said shaking her hand.

I saw a look of recognition on her face when she finally said, "Of course. Ms. Granger. Please, come this way, we have plenty to show you."

We followed her to a case full of the most beautiful pieces of jewelry I had ever seen in my entire life.

"These are the best of our collection. Every diamond has been charmed to sparkle even without light. They are all flawless and perfectly clear." She said waving towards the jewelry.

"How about those?" Draco said pointing to a necklace, bracelet, and earring set.

She took them out and I couldn't help but gasp. The necklace was made from platinum and had a beautiful pendant. The pendant consisted of a 3 carat emerald which had a 5 carat diamond shaped as a teardrop hanging from it. The bracelet was an emerald and diamond tennis bracelet. And the earrings were a smaller version of the pendant with the emerald being a stud with a tear shaped diamond hanging from it. She took the necklace and handed it to me. I just stared at it.

"Well, try it on already." Draco said getting impatient.

I put it on and looked in the mirror. The diamond was indeed sparkling and it was gorgeous. "Yes, that will work fine." Draco said as I handed the necklace back.

She took the necklace back and started to box it up. "Oh, it is lovely. It will be 450,000 galleons, Mr. Malfoy." I almost choked and Draco shot me a look that told me not to embarass him.

"That's fine, put it on my account." He said as he took the box and shrank it. He put it in his pocket and started to walk out.

"Draco, that was way too much." I said as we walked back out into the cold.

"It's fine. I have plenty of money." He said as he walked. He didn't even look at me.

I heard my stomach rumble. "Lets go get dinner. It's already 6pm and we skipped lunch."

He stopped for a moment and looked at me. "Well, I suppose we should get this over with. I'm sure all of Diagon Alley has seen us and if I'm not mistaken the witch from the jewelry store has already told the media that you're my new girlfriend." He stuck out his hand palm up and I realized he meant for me to hold it. I put my hand in his, slightly grateful for the warmth it provided. "Merlin, Granger! Your hands are like ice!" He said as he started to walk towards the restaurant.

We arrived at the newest hot spot of Diagon Alley, Mystique. The line was out the door and the place was packed. People stared at us and then looked at our intertwined hands. I was suddenly aware of all the whispering around us.

Draco pushed to the front of the line and stood in front of the host.

"Reservation?" The host asked without looking up from the list of names in front of him. There must have been 50 people on that list.

"No." Draco said smoothly. "But the name is Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."

The host's head snapped up and looked at Draco. "Oh, Mr. Malfoy! Of course. Follow me, your table is right this way."

I was amazed that the Malfoy name still had so much power. The host lead us to what must have been the best table in restaurant. It was in the middle of the room and everyone could see us. Draco pulled my chair out for me and as I sat down the host handed me a menu. "Our wines for the night are..." the host started but Draco cut him off.

"Just give us a bottle of whatever your best red wine is." Draco said as he was sitting down. The host quickly disappeared to get the wine.

After a few minutes of looking over the menu, I attempted to break the silence. "Okay Draco, we need to look like we want to be here. And I better get to know you if we want to be convincing at Pansy's ball."

"Fine, what do you want to know." He said as he put the menu down.

"Umm...what's your favorite color?" I asked, not being able to think of anything else.

He rolled his eyes. "Green. You really don't have anything better than favorite color?"

"Okay, fine. What's something you think I should know about you if we're dating?" I asked trying to look like I was enjoying this conversation. I could tell people kept looking at us.

"Well, I like to sleep on the left side of the bed. My birthday is March 14th. I consider Blaise my best friend. Pansy married Theo Nott and we haven't talked all that much since. You're the first girlfriend I have had in 2 years so you're going to be under a lot of scrutiny, especially from Pansy who was my girlfriend until about 2 years ago. My favorite breakfast item is sausage and I like my eggs scrambled. That should be enough for now. We've only been together for a day so you're not expected to know everything." He said as he reached for a breadstick that just appeared at our table.

That's right, Pansy left Draco for Theo. And then a year later, she was married. I had heard about that from somewhere. That made this ball even less appealing. She was certainly going to be a pain. I would have to talk to Draco about her before the ball.

Our server came back with our bottle of wine. He cleared his throat and showed the bottle to Draco for inspection. After he nodded, he opened the bottle and poured us each a glass. He asked for our order and I got the salmon while Draco got the filet mignon.

"What about you? I guess I should at least pretend to have an interest in your life." He said as he took a bite of the breadstick.

"Well, I sleep on the right side of the bed. Harry and Ron are my best friends. My favorite color is red. Ron and I tried a relationship after the war but after a year it was obvious that we couldn't stop fighting. I've dated a bit in the last 4 years but nothing serious and nothing that stuck. My favorite breakfast food is pancakes and I like my eggs over easy. Oh and my birthday is September 24th." I answered trying to remember what Draco had told me.

Just then, I saw a photographer sneaking behind a plant trying to get a picture of us. "Draco, there's a photographer over there. Lets make sure he gets a picture of us that makes it look like we're together." Draco nodded as he looked over and saw the photographer who was not very good at being inconspicuous. I put my hand on the table and he put his over it. I leaned in to tell him that we should look like we whispering something. But he had a similiar idea and leaned in as well. Next thing I knew, his lips were on mine, and I saw a flash of a camera. I tried to hide my shocked look from everyone and as quickly as I could sat back in my seat. Draco had a look of masked disgust as he sat back.

"Well, that's not what I had in mind." I said as I tried to resist the urge to wipe my mouth. He looked like he was having the same struggle. "But, I guess it'll make good news."

"You might as well get used to it. I'm sure it won't be the last. We'll have to be convincing at the ball." Draco said nonchalantly. "Not that kissing you is something I'd like to get used to."

I tried not to glare at him so instead I looked down at the table. I noticed that he hadn't let go of my hand and tried to keep my hand still though I wanted to snatch it back. Our meal showed up then and he let go of my hand to eat. The rest of the meal was fairly quiet.

We got up after dinner and he grabbed my hand again as we were leaving the restaurant. We quickly went to an apparition point and apparated to my flat. Once in the living room, he pulled out all of my things out of his pocket and made them normal size. I was still amazed at all the things we bought. He looked to make sure everything was out of his pocket and walked to his room.

"G'night Granger." He said as he went into his room.

I plopped down on the sofa and looked at all the things. I picked up the jewelry box and opened it. Again I was breathless as I looked at the set. I closed it and set it back on the table. I leaned back on the couch and stared at the ceiling. I was exhausted. I closed my eyes and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

**Hey all – I hope you're enjoying the story. It's my first Harry Potter story. For some reason, I've become really attached to Draco/Hermione. This story came to me right before I fell asleep the other night. Anyway, please review and let me know how it's going, whether you like it or things you'd like me to change.**

**Thanks! ~Chrissy**


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning I awoke, still on the couch but lying down on the cushions. I threw the blanket that was on top of me onto the floor and got up. Man, I was stiff; teach me to sleep on the couch.

I went into my room and changed into my bathrobe and a pair of pajamas since I was still in the same clothing from last night. I didn't feel like getting ready yet. I went into the kitchen and started to make breakfast. Sausage and pancakes for today. I started another pot of coffee and started to mix the batter.

I heard Draco come out of his room and plop himself into a chair. He was in his red silk pajama pants and white t-shirt again. "Sleep well?" I asked as I poured him a cup of coffee.

"Better than you." He smirked.

"Yea, I fell asleep on the couch. No big deal. I fall asleep watching television all the time." I said putting the hot cup in front of him.

I finished cooking breakfast and put it on the table. I heard a tapping and turned to see another gray owl at the window sill. I opened the window and it dropped a newspaper on the table. It flew back out and I saw the note that on top of it.

_Hermione and Draco,_

__

Good work.

Gawain

"Huh. It's from Gawain." I said as I picked up the paper. Then I saw what he was talking about. On the front page, there was a huge picture of Draco and me kissing. The headline was screaming, "Has tragedy turned into romance?" I looked at the first line of the article, "The murder of Narcissa Malfoy apparently has a silver lining. It has brought former golden trio member and ex-death eater into an unlikely whirlwind romance." I couldn't read anymore and threw the paper at Draco.

He picked it up and I saw him raise an eyebrow. "Well, mission accomplished, I suppose. Although, it would help if you wouldn't wince when I kiss you. I can't believe what I'm doing to my reputation." He said as he put the newspaper back down on the table. I rolled my eyes and I looked at the picture again. It did indeed seem like I winced as soon as his lips touched mine.

"I was just surprised. I'll be better prepared next time." Next time. Ugh. Just the thought made me want to vomit a little bit. I looked at the clock and realized we had to be back at the Ministry soon. "We have about an hour 'til we need to be at the Ministry."

Draco glanced at the clock and then stood up. He put his dish in the sink and walked out. I heard the bathroom door close. I picked up my dish and put it in the sink. I scorgified all the dishes from the last two days and put them in the dish rack.

I went to the living room, picked up all the bags from last night and brought them to my room. I went to the bathroom for a shower and then looked through my bags of new clothing. I picked out a blue sweater and jeans. I put them on and looked in the mirror. It was amazing how much of a difference expensive clothes make. I grabbed my new hair supplies and put a squirt of sleekeazy in my hands and ran it through my hair. I brushed my hair out which gave me soft waves and then I put the hair smoother through it which made my hair soft and shiny. I grabbed my wand and put it in my back pocket.

I went back into my living room and waited by the fireplace. Draco came in and looked at my outfit. "Well, at least you look presentable now." He said as he grabbed some floo powder. I figured it was the closest thing to a compliment I would get.

We walked into the conference room in the Auror Department and everyone was already seated.

"Wow, Hermione! You look great!" Angelina said when she saw us enter.

Everyone turned around to look. I could tell by the looks the guys were giving me that they agreed.

"Yea, 'Mione." Ron said while nodding his head.

"Thank you, thank you. I have managed to make Granger here look decent. And I thought it couldn't be done." Draco said as we took our seats.

I glowered at him. "Thank you, everyone. Let's get down to business, shall we?"

"Well, it seems you already have." Seamus chuckled as he threw today's paper at me. The picture of Draco and I kissing stared at everyone around the table.

Ron and Harry looked distinctly uncomfortable while Angelina and Seamus just smiled. "Yes, well, it was a staged picture." I explained. "We were in the restaurant and saw the photographer sneaking around. And besides, Gawain told us to be look like a couple."

"But not snogging him!" Ron exploded.

"Ron, it's my assignment. It's my job. I'm just doing what I was told I have to do." I said as I looked down at the picture. Well, it was believable, that's for sure. "We need to discuss the security plan for tomorrow night." I said trying to quickly change the topic.

"Right. What time does the ball start, Malfoy?" Harry asked.

"8 o'clock at the Notts'." Draco said. "It will probably last until midnight."

"Okay, we will set up a perimeter around the Notts' at 7:30 and we'll stay until we see Hermione leave." Angelina said. "Harry and I will be in the woods next to the house the entire time. Seamus and Ron will be here if we need them. Hermione, here's a coin we can use to keep in touch." She handed me a coin that I recognized. It was the same type of coin that was used to call DA meetings. "It's small enough to fit anywhere. And please make sure to keep your wand with you at all times."

I nodded and put the coin in my pocket. "Draco bought me some robes to wear, so I'm sure there will be a place for my wand." I said, happy that he bought me a robe and not a dress. Robes always had a place to put your wand and a small pocket that you can shrink anything to fit into.

"Angelina and I will stop at your place before we head to the Notts' to make sure everything is ready. Expect us over around 7:15." Harry said, looking at me. "Is there anything else we need to know, Malfoy?" Harry said as he turned his attention to the blond boy.

"The Notts' will probably have taken down their apparition wards so that the guests can get in. I say if anything goes wrong, it'll be in the first hour. It's going to take that long to see whether or not they accept Granger. If they don't, you'll hear a commotion. So Granger better play her part well." He said as he looked at me. "My job will be far harder, though. I mean, everyone wants to be close to _me_." He smirked.

"Yeah, whatever Malfoy." I said, reverting back to his last name. "If you pretend to like me well enough, your friends will buy it."

Everyone nodded at this. "Hermione, if anyone seems like they're targeting Malfoy, we need to get him out right away." Seamus added. "Remember, someone may try to kill him. We don't know."

"I know. I'll keep an eye out." I said. "Let's meet Monday morning to discuss the information I gather from the ball."

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea. I want at least one day off." Ron said. "So, are we done here?"

"I think so. Draco and I need to go through some things today. We'll be in my office if you need us." I said.

Draco shot a look at me. "Like what?"

"I need to know the backgrounds of all your so called friends. So I know what I'm looking for." I said.

Penny popped her head into the conference room. "Lunch has been brought into the office today. Would you like it here in the conference room?"

"Sure. Thanks Penny." I said as she left and quickly returned with a tray of sandwiches and drinks. Harry, Ron, Angelina and Seamus all grabbed sandwiches and left. Draco and I decided to stay in the conference room. We ate quickly and didn't attempt any type of conversation. We left as soon as we were done and went into my office.

I sat behind my desk while Draco closed the door behind him and sat down. "So, what do you need to know?" He said with a bored look on his face.

"Let's start with Blaise. What do I need to know about him?" I said, as I grabbed my notebook and quill.

"Well, he's the closest thing I have to a best friend. I don't think he'd try to kill me. He wasn't even a real death eater. I see him every few weeks. He can't keep a girlfriend. He still lives with his parents. And he works as a lawyer." He said as he looked at his fingernails. "He should be easy to get along with. You aren't the first person I've brought home that he won't approve of. But he usually keeps his opinions to himself."

"Ok, let's talk about Pansy then." I said cautiously.

Draco sat up. "Why?"

"Because we're going to her ball and you even said she would be scrutinizing me." I argued. "Now, tell me what happened, and what I can expect from her."

"No need to be so bossy." He sneered at me. "All you need to know is that we broke up so she could be with Nott. She married him. Boo hoo for me."

"So why will she be scrutinizing me?" I asked.

"Come on Granger. Use that brain of yours. She wants to know who replaced her. And she knows me better than most people. She'll be able to tell if we're real or fake. So, try not to flinch every time I touch you." He said like I was a dunce. "And I'll try not to want to vomit when I touch you."

I rolled my eyes. "Yea, whatever. What about Theo Nott? What do I need to know about him?"

Draco shrugged. "He's Theo. He works for his parent's company. He's been in love with Pansy since Hogwarts. Pansy has him under her thumb."

"Ok, who else will be there?" I said trying to make a list of all guests and possible suspects.

"Gregory Goyle I imagine. I haven't talked to him since we left Hogwarts. Millicent Bulstrode will probably be there as well." Draco paused for a moment looking like he was thinking. "I believe the guest list also included: Malcolm Baddock, Marcus Flint, Daphne and Astoria Greengrass, and Miles Bletchley." He said ticking them off his fingers. "I'm sure there are more but I don't remember."

"Okay and what do we know about them?" I asked writing down the names.

"Bulstrode is Pansy's best friend. The Greengrasses are probably married but I don't remember to whom. I haven't talked to Goyle since Crabbe died. Flint is a profession quidditch player. And I have no idea about Baddock and Bletchley." He said succinctly.

"Well, I guess that'll have to be good for now. This is a good list of people." I said looking over my notes.

"Good. Can we get out of here now?" He said getting impatient.

I looked at the clock. "Well, it's almost dinner time. We're supposed to go out to dinner tonight so why don't we go back to my place and get ready?"

"Sure, fine, whatever. I just don't want to be at the Ministry any longer." He said as he got up and strode to the door.

We floo'd back to my place and as soon as we stepped into the living room I saw a couple of owls sitting on my window sill. I walked over and let them in. They flew to Draco and he took the letters from him. They flew out the window and he read over the letters quickly. I heard him sigh.

"Who are those from? The Ministry needs to be kept aware of your correspondences." I said walking over to him.

He threw the letters at me and sat down on the couch.

_Draco,  
Is it true?! Are you really dating that mudblood? Merlin's sake, Draco! You could do so much better! Are you bringing that thing to my ball tomorrow? What has gotten into you?! Please tell me the Daily Prophet was lying.  
-Pansy_

_Draco,  
Serious? Are you really dating Granger? Didn't know you had it in you. Guess I'll see the two of you tomorrow. Looking forward to it.  
-Blaise_

I put the letters on the coffee table and sat on the loveseat. "What are you going to do?" I asked looking at him intently.

"Well, I'm going to write Pansy back and tell her that I am indeed going to bring you and I suppose I should defend you...a little. Blaise doesn't need a reply. We'll see him tomorrow. He doesn't sound like he buys it though." He said as he put his hand through his hair.

I grabbed some parchment and a quill from the coffee table and handed it to him. I saw him write a quick message and he threw it on the table like he was disgusted. I picked it up and read it.

_Pansy,  
No, the newspaper isn't lying. I am dating Hermione Granger. Who is good enough to be my girlfriend is my own prerogative. We will both be attending your ball tomorrow night. Try to refrain from insulting her.  
-DM_

I looked at the neat handwriting and realized that he was at least slightly annoyed by Pansy trying to butt into his personal life, real or fake. I handed the parchment back to him and he folded it up and waved his wand. The Malfoy seal appeared on the parchment. He got up and went into his room. He returned with a beautiful gray owl and opened the window. "To Pansy Nott." He ordered and the owl flew away.

"Leave the window open for when he returns." I said as he turned from the window.

He nodded his head. "Let's just get ready for dinner." He said as he disappeared back into his room.  
_  
_"Where are we going?" I called out before he closed the door.

"Wear something nice." He said as the door clicked shut.

I walked into my room and realized all my clothes were still in bags. I grabbed my wand from my pocket and waved it at my bags. All the clothes neatly sorted themselves either into my closet or dresser. I walked over to my closet and looked at a few of the dresses we had bought the other day. Since I had no idea where we were going, I decided that the best bet was one of the little black dresses we had bought.

I grabbed the black dress from the closet and held it up. It would do. It was a halter top that fit snugly along my torso and flared at the bottom. I put it on and looked in the mirror. It looked pretty good. I grabbed a pair of black high heels and went into my bathroom. My hair still looked pretty good from the morning so I just fixed it up a little to make it a little wavier. I grabbed some lip gloss from the cabinet and applied it to my lips.

I looked into the mirror again and decided I looked good enough for a dinner. Not too dressy but it would be good for a nice restaurant. I heard Draco's door open and closed and figured he was ready. I grabbed a black purse and put my wand inside.

I walked out into the living room and saw Draco standing in front of the couch. He looked good wearing dark pants and a dark blue button down shirt. His hair was brushed with a part on the side. And he had a blazer in his hand. I grabbed my black pea coat and walked over to him. He grabbed my arm and I side along apparated with him.

We landed in front of a restaurant that was full of people. It was obviously a wizarding restaurant since I saw a mix of muggle clothes and robes. "Where are we?" I asked as he steered us towards the host.

"Paris." He responded without looking at me.

I gasped. Paris?! I always wanted to go to Paris. The next thing I knew we were being escorted to a table out on the patio that had a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower. Draco pulled out my chair for me and then sat on the other side of the table. The host handed us menus and walked away.

"Why did you take me to Paris?" I asked a little confused.

"Because anyone who is anyone is in Paris on a Friday night. We will most certainly make the news." He said as he put down the menu. "My family is well known at this restaurant."

I looked through the menu and put it down as our waiter approached our table. "Can I get you something to drink?" He asked.

"Our regular wine." Draco answered. "And I'll have the rack of lamb."

The waiter then looked at me. "Oh, um, I'll have the chicken breast in a burgundy wine sauce." I said as I handed him back the menu.

"Very good." He answered. The bus boy came up behind him and poured our wine. I guess Draco was a regular here. They both walked away and I looked at the scenery while I took a sip of the wine.

I noticed people looking at us as they walked by. Or maybe I should say, I saw people looking at Draco. I looked over at him to see that he was also looking at the scenery. "This place is beautiful, Draco." I said, a little loudly so people could hear me.

He looked at me a little startled and then realized people were watching. He put his hand on the table palm up and said, "Yes, I really enjoy it here."

I put my hand in his and I could see the people whispering. Just then, I saw a short brunette woman walking towards our table. "Excuse me. I'm sorry to bother your dinner but I work for Witch Weekly. Would you mind if I asked a few questions?"

Malfoy looked at the witch with an annoyed expression on his face. "Well, we're not too fond of this intrusion on our dinner." Malfoy sneered. "But, I suppose if you're quick, we can answer a couple of questions."

The woman looked surprised that he agreed but decided not to waste time. "So, are you two really dating?" She asked taking out a quill and notebook.

"What does it look like?" Draco answered impatiently. "Is that all you have?"

"No no." She said quickly. "How long have you two been dating." This time she looked at me, probably hoping to not get on Draco's nerves.

"Only a few days, honestly." I answered. "We reconnected when he came to the Ministry after the death of his mother." I saw him flinch at the mention of his mother.

"Ok. I know you two don't have a real friendly past. So, how did you reconnect?" She prodded.

"Hogwarts was 5 years ago. We've both changed and we really enjoy spending time together." I answered trying not to sound like the answers were rehearsed.

"Last question." Draco said looking annoyed.

"Alright." She said looking at her notes. "How serious are you two?"

Draco attempted to smile. He was half successful. "Serious enough that I would take her to Paris on the busiest night of the week and grant an interview to you." He answered snidely.

"Do you consider her your girlfriend?" She asked point blank.

"Yes, yes, she's my girlfriend. Now your time is up." Draco said as he dismissed her. She nodded her head, mumbled thanks and turned around. As soon as she left I saw a scowl appear on his face. "I hope we solve this case soon. I don't know how much more I can take of this."

"I know I know." I said. "Good job, though. You managed to sound like your obnoxious self while admitting to liking me."

The waiter then arrived with our food and we started to eat. "We should probably take a walk afterwards." I said as I looked out at the tower. "We'll look like we're taking a romantic stroll."

He nodded his head without looking up from his food. I had never been to the Eiffel tower. So I figured I might as well take advantage of the situation.

After dinner, we walked out of the restaurant and on to the street. "Where do you suggest we walk?" Draco asked looking around.

"Let's go to the Eiffel Tower." I said as I started to walk towards it.

He came up beside me and grabbed my hand. As we walked, I couldn't help but think how weird it was that I was walking in Paris hand in hand with Draco Malfoy.

We got tickets for the lift and went all the way to the top. I walked over to the railing and looked out at the city. It was beautiful. Draco stood next to me and awkwardly put his arm around me. I tried to not look uncomfortable and moved his arm to go around my waist.

I looked over at Draco and saw him looking out at the city, too. I figured I needed practice for the ball so I tried to look like a believable couple. I scooted over to him to get a little closer. I felt him stiffen but he didn't move away. I turned towards him and he looked at me. I bit my lip a little and he seemed to understand what I was trying to do. He turned completely towards me and looked down at me. I took a deep breath and took a step closer to him. I wrapped my arms his neck and looked up at him. He bent down and we kissed. It was a nice sweet kiss, one I would've sworn Draco was unable to pull off. When I pulled away, he looked a little surprised but quickly recovered. I saw a wisp of a smile cross his face but it was quickly gone. He then turned back towards the city but put his arm around me again, this time not so awkwardly.

After 10 more minutes of enjoying the view, we decided to go back home. We went back down the lift and got back on the streets of Paris. We walked hand in hand to the apparition point that was near the restaurant.

Before I knew it, we were back in my living room. "Thanks for the dinner." I said to him as we walked towards our rooms.

"It was nothing, just playing my part." Draco said as he went to his room. "G'night Granger."

"G'night Malfoy." I said as I walked into my room and closed the door. I got into my pajamas and went to bed. My mind started to wander and I thought about how we were just playing our parts for this investigation. After tonight, I had renewed faith about our ability to act like a couple. Maybe we won't get caught tomorrow, after all. I closed my eyes with a small smile on my face and fell asleep.

~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~

A/N: So, I spaced out when I made Remus head of the Auror Department. Apparently, I had forgotten he was dead...so I went back and changed it to Gawain Robards. According to wikipedia (and wikipedia knows _everything_), he took over the Auror Department after Rufus Scrimgeour. Sorry for the glaring error. :-) Hope you're enjoying the story. -Chrissy


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next evening came quickly. I had just gotten out of the shower and was standing in front of the bathroom mirror. I decided that I would wear my hair up for this occasion. I put the sleekeazy and hair smoother through my hair and brushed it out. I grabbed my wand and said an incantation that curled my hair and gathered it on top of my head. I took a few strands down; just enough to have them frame my face. I picked up a jeweled hair clip and put it into my hair for a little bit of decoration. I put on a little bit of makeup, enough to be noticeable but not overpowering. I walked over to my bed and grabbed my dark green dress robes. I put them on and looked in the mirror. The robes have a swooping neckline and clung to my curves like they were made specifically for me. They flared just slightly below the waist and went down to my ankles. I had to admit, I had never looked so good. This made the Yule ball look like nothing. I put on the jewelry set Draco had bought me and put on silver high heels. There was a place in my robes for my wand right up my left sleeve and was well concealed. There was a small pocket on the side of my robe that was barely noticeable and I put my Ministry coin in that.

I heard the sound of people apparating into my living room. Harry and Angelina must have arrived. I took another look in the mirror and smiled.

"Wow, Hermione! You look amazing!" Harry sputtered as I walked into the living room to greet them.

Angelina turned around to face me and I saw her jaw drop. "Hermione, you look beautiful. You're going to knock them dead."

"What's all this commotion about?" I heard Draco say as he walked into the living room. He stopped when he saw me. "Merlin! You look good, Granger." My eyebrows raised in surprise. "You don't look anything like your normal self." There was the Draco we all knew.

I rolled my eyes. "Thank you guys. So, are you all ready?" I said turning back to Harry and Angelina.

"Yes, we are going to head over to the Notts' now. We wanted to make sure you guys were ready. We have our coins and make sure you have your wand. Good luck." Angelina said.

Harry gave me a hug. "Be safe." He whispered in my ear.

They both apparated away and I turned around to finally get a good look at Draco. He was wearing black dress robes with a bow tie. The robes looked fitted to his body and there were little bits of silver on the bow tie. The silver brought out the silver in his eyes. His hair looked perfectly brushed and looked so soft. I had to grudgingly admit, he looked really handsome.

"Ok, Granger. Are you ready to give the performance of a lifetime?" He smirked at me.

I took a deep breath. "As ready as I will ever be." I said as I walked over to him.

He held out his hand and I took it. We apparated to the Notts' mansion and ended up on the walkway leading to the house. The mansion was huge. Not as big as Malfoy Manor of course, but it was definitely up there. It was white and had a 1600s feel to it. It had white columns and light spilled from all the windows. There were people everywhere in their finest clothes, apparating and making their way to the door.

We walked through the door and were greeted by Pansy. She hadn't changed that much over the years. She looked more mature and had grown her dark hair out a bit. She still had a pug like nose but her facial features worked together to make her attractive. She was wearing silver robes and had a lot of jewelry on. She smiled really widely when she saw Draco, but when she saw that he was holding my hand, the smile quickly switched to a scowl.

"Draco! I'm so glad you came! I'm sorry about your mother." She said as she went over to him and gave him a hug. He dropped my hand so he could hug her back but I noticed he certainly kept his distance. "Too bad you had to bring trash to my ball." She said as she nodded towards my direction.

I was about to say something when Draco put his arm around my waist and pulled me towards him. "Don't talk about my girlfriend like that. Otherwise we may have to leave early." It hit me then that Pansy really was a sore point still and decided to help him out.

I wrapped my arms around Draco's waist and said to him softly but loud enough for Pansy to hear, "its ok Draco. You're mine and nothing she says will change that."

I saw a smile creep over Draco's face as Pansy glared at me. "That's right, love." He said and kissed the top of my head. "Now, if you excuse us Pansy, we'd like to find Blaise." He said as he grabbed my hand and led me into the ballroom.

"That was good, Granger." He whispered in my ear. I nodded my head and continued to walk.

As we entered the ballroom, I looked at the extravagantly decorated room. The far wall consisted of windows from ceiling to ground with large French doors that led to a balcony set at the halfway point. The room had a holiday feel with dark green garland hanging from the walls and red poinsettias everywhere. There was a large Christmas tree in the far right corner of the ballroom and an orchestra set up against the wall next to it. On the left side of the ballroom there was a buffet table with tables set up for guests to eat. And there were white gloved waiters that walked around carrying trays of drinks.

A server walked over to us and offered us some drinks. We grabbed a couple of glasses and Draco spotted Blaise standing on the side of the ballroom. Blaise was also in black dress robes though he had a dark green tie. He was taller than Draco and his dark complexion was a lot different from Draco's almost milky white complexion.

We walked over to him and I saw him smile as he appraised us. "Blaise." Draco said as he held out his hand.

"Draco." Blaise responded as he shook Draco's hand. His face went serious as he seemed to think about what he would say next. "I'm sorry about your mother."

Draco nodded then quickly changed the subject. "You know Hermione Granger." He said motioning towards me.

Blaise nodded towards me in acknowledgement. "Granger."

"Please, call me Hermione. We're not in school anymore." I smiled. I really had to work on getting these people to like me or at least tolerate me.

"Hermione then. You look beautiful." He said smoothly as he smiled. "You have changed since Hogwarts."

I felt Draco put his arm around my waist again and pulled me against him tightly, almost like he was being protective of me.

"Thank you." I said as I brought a small blush to my face. "You look really good, yourself." I said sending an appraising look at him. Blaise continued to look at my intently as if trying to find a flaw. I felt Draco's arm get a little tighter around my waist.

"Could you not look at my girlfriend like that?" Draco said.

Blaise raised his hands in the air. "Just admiring your choice, mate. I have to admit, I wasn't sure what to expect. I was quite surprised when I read about it in the paper. So, how did you two get together?" He said quickly.

"We ran into each other at the Ministry the day his mother died. Since he was in shock, he wasn't his normal obnoxious self and that gave me enough time to actually get to know him a little. We went out to dinner that night and realized we both had changed a lot. He has been staying with me and we've really enjoyed being together." I responded trying to make it sound believable.

Blaise raised his eyebrows and looked at Draco suspiciously. "It's true, man. I wasn't in the mood for arguing that day and Hermione came by and started to talk to me. Trust me, I didn't plan for this to happen but it's nice." Draco said with a small smile on his face. I would've sworn it was the closest thing to a real smile I had ever seen grace Draco's face.

Blaise shrugged. "Well, I guess hell is freezing over." He chuckled. "Didn't think I'd see the day but you might have met your match, Draco."

Just then a tall blond woman walked up to Blaise. She was a pretty girl, with a deep red dress offsetting the green in Blaise's tie. He put his arm around her and kissed her on the cheek. "Darling, this is Draco Malfoy and his girlfriend Hermione Granger. Draco, Hermione, this is Astoria Greengrass."

"Hermione Granger? Like, the mud...muggleborn?" Astoria amended when she saw Draco send her a glare.

"The one and the same." I said trying to diffuse the situation. I then turned to Draco. "Let's dance, Draco?"

Draco looked over at me and nodded. He grabbed my hand and led me to the dance floor. The band was playing a waltz so Draco pulled me into him put his right hand on my waist and grabbed my hand with his left. He was actually a fairly good leader and it was really easy to dance with him.

I looked around saw that everyone who wasn't dancing were all whispering to each other while watching us. "Everyone is staring." I whispered into Draco's ear.

"So we better make it good." He replied. He continued to spin me around the dance floor and as the song ended, he put me into a dip. When he lifted me back up he wrapped his arms around me and kissed me quickly on the lips. He then led us off the dance floor and I could see everyone's jaw drop. I smiled as we left the dance floor. It was kind of fun to have this kind of effect on people.

We went back to the side of the ballroom and looked at everyone at the ball. "I thought you said Astoria was married?" I asked.

"I thought so. I know she was engaged. I guess it didn't work out." Draco answered as his eyes were following the different guests.

I saw Draco stiffen a little and he whispered, "Nott and Goyle are coming over."

"Draco, how good it is to see you." Theo Nott said as he came up to us. "And Ms. Granger, what a surprise it is to see you." He said in that smarmy talk show host type of way. Theo was wearing black dress robes with a black bow tie. He looked the same as he did in Hogwarts except his dark hair was a little longer. Goyle was also in dress robes though his looked a little older and a little out of fashion as if he was borrowing them. He was still fairly heavy set and he didn't even bother to look my way.

Draco nodded his head in acknowledgment. "Theo. Goyle."

Gregory Goyle grunted something that sound like hello.

"Please call me Hermione." I said as I smiled at Theo. Draco's arm found its way around my waist again.

"Hermione then. "Theo agreed. "Draco, how have you been? I'm so sorry to hear about your mother."

"I'm as well as can be expected. Although, there are some good things happening." He said as he glanced at me. I blushed at the comment.

"Pansy was quite upset about the news, you know." Theo's smiled faltered for moment. "But I'm glad you have found someone new." There was something in his voice that didn't sound sincere.

"I'm sure you are." Draco smirked.

At this Goyle chimed in. "I thought you had better taste, Malfoy." I had almost forgotten he was even there.

Draco glared at Goyle. "I see you have found someone else to follow around." He sneered.

Goyle's face started to turn pink. "Now now, that's not nice, either of you." Theo jumped in.

Just then, Pansy came up to Theo and wrapped herself around Theo's arm. "What do you think of the ball, Draco?" She asked in a saccharine voice.

"It's lovely, Pansy. You outdid yourself." Pansy glowed at the compliment. "Millicent helped, have you seen her?"

"No, not yet. We've been dancing." Draco said as he tightened his hold around me.

Pansy's smile dropped at this. "Yes, well, everyone saw you dancing." She huffed as she shot daggers at me. I smiled at her seeing that it annoyed her more.

"Would you like to get something to eat?" I asked Draco looking up at him.

"Sure, love. Excuse us." Draco said as he steered us towards the buffet table.

"Well, that was fun." I said sarcastically as we walked away. "Although, I'm getting some good information for the case."

Draco looked momentarily lost but gained his composure quickly. "Right, the case. I knew bringing you would raise some hairs but this amount of hatred is pretty impressive even for you." He said snidely.

We filled our plates with some food and sat at one of the tables in the corner of the room. We ate in a companionable silence when we were joined by two women.

"Well well, look what the cat dragged in." I looked over to see Millicent Bulstrode and Daphne Greengrass standing in front of our table. "I didn't believe it until I saw the two of you tonight." Millicent sneered.

"You will refrain from insulting my girlfriend." Draco said while he scowled at her.

"Please forgive Millicent. She forgets her manners. It's lovely to see you Draco." Daphne said trying to sound diplomatic. "Granger." She nodded at me. "We will be going. Millicent just wanted to see if you two were for real. Now that we see you are, our curiosity has been satisfied. Have a good night." Daphne said and then she grabbed Millicent by her arm and pulled her away from our table. I could see Millicent turning around to glare at me but at least they were gone.

We finished eating when Blaise came over and sat with us. "So, Draco, it has been a while since we have done anything together." He said as he sat back in his chair. "You should come over and visit. Bring Hermione with you. We'll do a double date. I'll have the house elves cook up something wonderful."

Draco looked at me quickly and I nodded subtlety. "Sure, Blaise. We can do that." Draco answered.

"Great! How about in a few days? We'll catch up." Blaise said with a smile on his face.

"Oh Draco! You can't make plans with Blaise and not make plans with me!" I heard Pansy whine from behind me.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Fine, Pansy. But Hermione is coming with me." Draco stipulated.

"Why do you have to bring _her_?" She pouted.

"Because she's my girlfriend." He said without room for argument.

Pansy huffed as she stared at me. "Fine. Bring her. If that's what it takes to see you. I'll send you an owl tomorrow."

Draco stood and put out his hand to help me up. "Let's go get some fresh air." He said as he helped me onto my feet. He nodded to everyone at the table and walked me towards the French doors.

We walked out onto the balcony and looked out at the gardens. He put his arm around me and whispered in my ear. "I think we may actually pull this off." To anyone looking at us, it looked like we were having an intimate conversation.

"These dinners will be good for the investigation, too." I said as I whispered back.

He turned towards me completely and looked down at me. "I think they believe us." He said as he pulled me close. I nodded as he bent down and put his lips to mine.

I don't know how long we were kissing but soon I heard someone clear his throat. We separated and saw Blaise smirking at us.

"I was on my way out and wanted to make sure I said goodbye." He said as he looked at us, a smile on his face.

"Actually, we were just about to leave as well." Draco said. I followed the two boys back through the doors and across the ballroom.

I felt a tug on my arm and when I turned around I was face to face with Pansy. "I don't know what you've done to him but the Draco I know would never be with _you_." She hissed at me. "He deserves way better than you."

I smirked at her as I thought about what to say. "Like who? You? Are you jealous Pansy? Maybe you regret leaving him? Sorry, but he is so much happier with me than he _ever_ was with you." I spat.

I saw her eyes get wide and the narrow into slits. "You better watch your back, mudblood."

"Is that a threat?" I scowled.

"Is there a problem here?" I heard Draco say as he came up behind me.

I smiled widely at him and gave him a kiss. "Oh, no, dear. Nothing I can't handle." I said as I glared at Pansy.

"Good night, Pansy." Draco said as he led me towards the door.

"What was that all about?" He whispered as we walked outside.

I shook my head. "She thought you could threaten me. She was wrong." I smiled. I looked out at the woods surrounding the property and saw Harry standing between the trees. I nodded at him and he nodded back then disappeared.

We apparated back to my flat and I kicked off my high heels as soon as I was in my living room. "Good work tonight." I said to Draco as I followed him out of the living room.

"Yes, I think we passed the first test." He said as he stopped and turned around. He gave me a half smile and gave me a quick peck on the lips. "G'night Hermione." He turned around and went into his room.

I put my fingers to my lips. Why would he kiss me? There's no one around to pretend for. I smiled. He must still be in character. I went into my room and got ready for bed. As I lay in bed, I put my fingers to my lips again. We were getting good at pretending to be a couple. It was almost getting easy. With a smile on my lips, I drifted off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

I awoke the next morning and went out to the kitchen. I was shocked to see Draco already at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee.

"Good morning." I said pleasantly surprised to see a fresh pot of coffee already done. "I didn't know you knew how to use a coffee maker."

"I don't know. But I can read directions." He said pointing to the sticker on the side of the coffee maker.

I noticed two letters on the table in front of him. He saw what I was looking at and grimaced. "They're from Blaise and Pansy. I let the owls in while you were sleeping." He said waving his hand in their direction.

I sat down with my coffee and picked up the first letter.

_Draco,  
Remember you promised to come by and visit? Theo and I would love to have you (and only you if possible) over for dinner tomorrow night. Can't wait to see you!  
-Pansy_

I raised my eyebrow at him and he just shrugged. I put down the letter and picked up the other.

_Draco,  
Would you and Hermione be interested in dinner tonight at my place? Let me know.  
-Blaise_

"So what's your answer?" I asked as I put the second one down.

"I already sent the owls confirming our appearances." He said as he took a sip of coffee."The quicker we go, the quicker we can figure this case out."

"Good idea." I agreed. Although I did hate the idea of working on my day off.

"Hey Hermione! You there?" I heard someone calling from my fireplace.

Draco and I got up and walked into the living room. "Hey Harry! What's going on?" I asked as Draco sat on the couch.

"You interested in meeting Ginny and I for lunch? We're going to Diagon Alley for some shopping but thought maybe you'd like to join us a little later on." Harry's green face said from the fire.

I looked over at Draco and saw him shrug his shoulders. "Sure Harry. But I'll have to bring Draco with me."

"Yea, I figured as much. Ok, we'll meet the two of you at the Leaky Cauldron." Harry said with a little bit of disappointment in his voice.

"Spending lunch with you isn't my ideal afternoon either, Potter." Draco chimed in from behind me.

I rolled my eyes. "Ok, Harry. We'll see you at noon then." I said before Harry could get in a retort.

"Alright Hermione. See you soon!" Harry said as his head disappeared from my fireplace.

"Lovely. An afternoon with Potter and the Weaselette." Draco drawled.

"Oh hush. If I can spend all my time with your stuck up friends, you can spend a lunch with my friends." I said as I glared at him.

"Whatever Granger. You get paid to hang out with my friends. I don't get a damn thing spending time with yours." He shot back.

"You get your life protected, Malfoy. Best not to forget I'm not doing this for fun either!" I shouted letting my temper get the best of me.

He smirked as if satisfied that he got me angry. "Honestly Granger, I doubt you could protect a cat. Hell, if Potter wasn't always protecting _you_, you'd have never made it through the War." He said calmly.

I bristled. "Go to hell, Malfoy." I said as I stormed from the room.

I went back into the kitchen and plopped down in my seat. I put my head in my hands for a moment and took a deep breath. I really shouldn't let him get to me like that. It was too reminiscent of Hogwarts and that was something I definitely didn't need to relive.

I thought about the night before when he was so nice to me. My fingers found their way to my lips and I smiled. Last night did go well. And it was fun despite having to deal with Pansy. And Draco did look so very handsome. At that thought I shook my head. I have to keep focused on the case and not let some sham of a relationship get to me. It had been so long since I had been in a relationship, it was kind of nice to even pretend to have one. I needed to start dating again after this was all over. The loneliness must be getting to me if a stupid kiss from Malfoy gets me in a tither. I chuckled to myself and got up from the table.

I walked into the living room to see Draco still sitting on the couch. He was reading a book that he must have taken off my bookshelf. "We should start getting ready if we want to get to Diagon Alley in an hour. And please behave yourself. We'll be in public." I said trying to be as calm as possible.

He looked up at me and at first I thought I saw a little remorse on his face. However, it quickly disappeared. "Oh, I'll be on my best behavior." He said as he got up from the couch. "I'm sure they'll love us being all lovey-dovey with each other." He smirked and then walked out of the room.

I hadn't even thought of that. Acting like a couple around Harry and Ginny was certainly going to be an interesting time. I heard the shower start and decided to get ready myself. I took a shower and eventually decided on a pair of black skinny jeans and a dark purple sweater. I styled my hair to have soft waves and grabbed some lip gloss. I put on my black pea coat and some black high heeled boots and called it good. I stuck my wand in my back pocket and left my room. Draco came out of his room at the same time as me and we both went into the living room. Draco was wearing brown pants and blue sweater. His blond hair was still damp from his shower. We both stepped through the floo and stepped out at the Leaky Cauldron.

"Well, we still have about 15 minutes before they get here. Do you want to walk around a bit?" I asked feeling much better than before.

He shrugged his shoulders and walked out of the Leaky Cauldron. I caught up to him and walked next to him down the road. I saw people looking at us so I made a conscious effort to look like a couple. I grabbed his hand and he looked at me slightly surprised. Then he seemed to remember and relaxed. We window shopped, passing by a lot of different shops. We were passing by a small antique store when I saw a beautiful brooch in the window. I stopped, looked at it and debated on whether or not to go in.

"What are you looking at? Draco asked, looking into the window as well. I pointed to the antique brooch with the purple gem in the middle. He looked at me briefly before turning around and walking into the store. I stood there confused for a moment and went in after him. However, by the time I caught up to him at the counter, he was already paying for it. He handed me the brooch and walked out of the shop.

"You didn't have to do that, you know." I said as I followed him out.

He shrugged his shoulders. "It wasn't that expensive and you wanted it." He paused for a moment. "It's my peace offering for this morning." He said and began to walk towards the Leaky Cauldron.

Peace offering? Oh, he must have been talking about our argument. It was probably the closest thing to an apology I was ever going to get, but I wasn't expecting an apology from _him_. Suddenly touched by the gift, I promptly pinned it to my purple sweater. It matched nicely.

I caught up to him and grabbed his hand and continued to walk next to him. "Thank you." I said softly. I saw him nod his head but he didn't say anything.

We got to the Leaky Cauldron and saw Harry and Ginny waiting out front. Harry saw us first and seemed to suppress a grimace when he noticed us holding hands. Ginny smiled really wide when she saw me but then frowned a bit when she saw Draco next to me.

"Hey Harry! Ginny!" I yelled out as we got closer to the couple. I felt Draco's squeeze my hand a little harder.

"Hey Hermione!" Harry and Ginny said at the same time.

"Malfoy." Harry said as we stopped in front of them.

Draco nodded at him. "Potter." He didn't say anything for a moment, as if trying to decide what he'd call her. "Ginny."

I could tell everyone was watching us. Draco and Harry in the same place and not arguing was big news.

"Are we ready to eat?" I asked breaking the tension.

"We're starving!" Ginny said as she took Harry's hand and started walking down Diagon Alley. "Lets just go to Trixie's. The new cafe down the road."

I nodded my assent and we started to walk with them. "How have you guys been?" I asked looking over at them.

Harry looked uncomfortable but Ginny smiled at me. "Great! We got a good amount of shopping done this morning. Harry got some new robes for work and I got a new purse."

We got to the restaurant and they seated us quickly. Because Draco was there or because Harry was there I don't know, but either way, they were quick about it.

"Hermione, that's a beautiful brooch. Where'd you get it?" Ginny said looking closer at the pin.

I blushed and saw Draco look away. "Oh, at the antique shop down the road. I saw it in the window and Draco bought it for me."

"You bought it for her?" Harry said looking at Draco.

"Yes, what of it?" Draco said practically challenging him.

"Why?" Harry asked,

Draco smirked. "Can't I buy something nice for my girlfriend?" He said emphasizing the last word.

"She's not really.." Harry began to say when I cut him off.

"Draco really is a most generous boyfriend." I said glaring at Harry.

Harry seem taken back for a moment when he noticed all the people at the tables next to us. He harrumphed and crossed him arms. "Doesn't mean I have to like it." He said quietly.

Draco then leaned over to kiss me on the cheek. I know he did it only to piss off Harry because I saw a smirk on his face as he pulled away and was looking straight at Harry. I saw Harry's face darken and he looked like he was about to say something.

"Well, it is beautiful." Ginny said trying to steer the conversation away from the tension.

"Thank you, Ginny. I love it." I said, looking down at the pin.

The waiter came by and took all our orders. Afterwards we all sat in an awkward silence, looking at each other.

I cleared my throat. "So any plans for tonight?" I asked Ginny, trying to break the ice.

"Oh, no. Probably just hanging around Harry's and watching a movie or something. You guys?" She asked happy to start another conversation.

"We're going to Blaise's for dinner." Draco answered. I looked at him slightly surprised that he said anything at all.

"Zabini?" Harry asked.

"The one and only." Draco replied.

Harry seemed to mull that over for a moment. "Well, uh, have fun, then. I'm sure that'll be an...interesting time." He said as he looked at me hard. "I wish you would've told me, though."

It clicked in my mind that I was supposed to have all meetings monitored by the Aurors. Crap. "We'll be fine, Harry. I think it'll go well and I'll tell you all about it tomorrow." I said hinting at the meeting tomorrow morning.

He looked at me for a moment and crinkled his brow. "Are you guys sure you'll be ok?"

"I'm positive." I said trying to relay that I didn't think Blaise was the killer. He had been way too polite the night before and he seemed so easy going. He was definitely at the bottom of my list of suspects.

"Well, let me know if you need anything." He said finally giving in.

"What just happened here?" Ginny said confused.

Draco had understood everything. "They're just being paranoid." He said looking at Ginny. "We'll be fine, Potter." He said putting his arm around my chair.

Harry narrowed his eyes at Draco but nodded his head. "We're still getting together tomorrow morning, right?" He asked me.

"Yes. And Draco and I have plans to see Pansy and Theo tomorrow night." I said.

Harry nodded again. "Okay."

Lunch showed up then and we ate in relative silence. Our plates had just been taken away when someone approached us with a camera. "Do you guys mind if I take a picture? It's for the Daily Prophet and it's probably better that I take one with you guys knowing than trying to sneak around."

We all looked at each other and agreed. We needed as much publicity as we could get and this would make my relationship with Draco look solid. We all moved our chairs next to each other. Harry put his arm around Ginny. I was between Harry and Draco and Draco put his arm around me as well. We all smiled for the camera and the photographer took off.

"Well, at least we were warned. That doesn't happen often." I said as we went back to our spots at the table.

Harry smiled and looked at me. "You know, it's nice to be sharing the spotlight with other people."

I chuckled. "I imagine it would be."

Draco just rolled his eyes. "As much fun as it has been to spend the afternoon with you, I think we need to get ready for dinner tonight."

With that, we got up from the table and Draco paid the bill. "Thanks Malfoy." Ginny said with no sarcasm in her voice.

Draco nodded at her. "Bye Potter, Ginny." He took my hand and led me back out to Diagon Alley.

"See, that wasn't so bad." I said as we walked past a few shops. "Where are we going anyway?" I asked quickly before he could get in a retort.

"I don't know what manners you have been taught, but when you go to someone's house for dinner, you bring something with you." He said while he scanned the shops looking for something particular. "We're heading to the bakery."

As soon as he said that, we stopped in front of the bakery. We walked in and he started looking around. He went over to the counter and an older woman was smiling at him. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, can I have two dozen of those holiday cookies?" Draco said, pointing at cookies that looked like snowflakes, Christmas trees and snowmen.

"Absolutely, sir." She said quickly putting the cookies into a white box.

After we finished, we apparated back to my flat. He put the cookies on my kitchen table and I sat on the couch. I turned on the television and saw that "A Christmas Carol" was on. I felt the couch sink in next to me as I looked to see Draco sitting next to me.

"What is this?" He asked looking at the television.

"A Christmas Carol." I said. "You know, by Charles Dickens?"

He seemed to ponder this for a moment. "Oh, that muggle book about the Christmas ghosts?"

I was slightly surprised to see that he knew anything about muggle literature. "Yes, that one."

"No need to be so surprised. I _can_ read, you know." He said as he made himself comfortable to watch the movie.

I smiled slightly and focused back on the television. The Ghost of Christmas Past was just showing up. I felt Draco's arm go around me and I jumped at the unexpected contact. He sent a sideways look and shrugged. Not knowing what else to do, I leaned into him a little and rested my head against his shoulder. He seemed to relax a little and went back to watching the television. We watched the rest of the movie sitting like that, not saying a word.

When the movie ended, it was almost 5 o'clock. I stretched and somewhat reluctantly got up from the couch. "What time do we have to be there?" I asked.

"Probably around 6, so soon." He said also getting up from the couch.

I looked down at what I wearing. "Can I wear this?"

He looked at me for a moment. "Switch the jeans for some black pants and you'll be fine."

"Okay." I said as I nodded my head. I walked out of the living room and into my room. I went over to the closet and looked for some nice black pants. I found them and put them on. I ran my hand through my hair and realized I needed to fix it. I went into the bathroom and looked into the mirror. My hair was starting to get frizzy again. I put a handful of sleekeazy through my hair along with a handful of the hair smoother. I used my wand to put in some soft waves. I put on some lip gloss and a little bit of make up.

I looked down and saw the brooch Draco bought me. It really was beautiful and it was nice of him. The thought made me smile. I smoother out my sweater and looked at the mirror one more time. Why did I care so much about how I looked? I guess it's always good to put a good foot forward with your boyfriend's friends. Not that he really was my boyfriend, of course. I seemed to have to remind myself of that more often.

I grabbed my want and walked out of my room into the living room to see Draco waiting for me. He was already holding the box of cookies. "Are we apparating or taking the floo?" I asked walking towards him.

"Apparating." He said as he held out his arm.

I grabbed his arm and felt the dizzying effect of side along apparating. When I opened my eyes again we were in front of a large brown house. It had white shutters and a candle in each window. The door opened as we came up the path. Blaise stood in the doorway, smiling at us. He was dressed casually in khakis and a long sleeved black shirt.

"Good evening." Blaise said as we approached him. Draco gave him the box of cookies and I smiled at him. "Thank you. I'm so glad you two could make it."

"Hey Blaise. Thanks for the invite." Draco said as we followed him into the house.

"Any time, man. It has been a while since we hung out. And it seems some things have changed." He said inclining his head towards me.

Draco smirked. "So they have."

Blaise led us into a sitting room where Astoria was sitting on a couch. She watched us as we came in and sat on the couch across from her. Blaise sat next to her. Draco put his arm around me and pulled me into him. I smiled at him and snuggled into him. I saw Astoria's eyebrow lift as she watched us intently. She was wearing tight fitting green robes that only went to her knees. She wore a lot of jewelry as if trying to show off how much money she had.

"Astoria." Draco said as he nodded at her.

She smiled at him and then smiled at Blaise as he put his arm around her. "It's nice to see you again, Draco."

"And you remember my girlfriend, Hermione?" He said inclining his head towards me.

"Of course." She said only then acknowledging my presence. "What a lovely brooch." She said looking at me.

I smiled. "Oh, thank you." I said. "Draco bought it for me."

I watched her eyes narrow slightly. Then she seemed to recover and smiled. "Well isn't that nice of him? I didn't know you were into gift giving, Draco." She said as if bitter about something.

"She brings out the best in me." He said smoothly.

I watched this intently, trying to figure out what I was missing. "Obviously." She said as if she was done with the conversation.

"Well, anyone who can bring out the good in Draco, must be amazing. I wasn't even sure there was any." Blaise said trying to lift the tension.

I went along with his conversation. "Oh, it's there. He just keeps it well hidden." I said patting Draco's knee.

"Thank you, dear." Draco responded, half sarcastically.

Blaise chuckled. "I'm sure dinner is ready now. Let's head to the dining room." He said as he got up from the couch.

He held his arm out to Astoria who took it and they walked out of the room. Draco held out his arm and as I grabbed it, I whispered in his ear. "What was that about with Astoria?"

"I dated her for a short period of time after Pansy." He whispered back. "It wasn't serious and that's not what she had in mind. When I refused to be her boyfriend, she blew her top and I hadn't seen her since."

"Well, you could've told me about it." I hissed back.

"I really didn't think it was a big deal." He said.

Right then, Blaise and Astoria looked back at us to see what was keeping us. Draco saw this as well, and quickly kissed me. I giggled to make it seem like we were just flirting and talking.

"Will you two hurry it up?" Blaise called out. "I don't need to see you snogging."

I saw a scowl briefly appear on Astoria's face. "It's rude to keep us from dinner." She said.

"Oh, Astoria dear. It's okay. They've already caught up, see?" Blaise said as we stopped in front of them.

Astoria turned around and Blaise flashed us a smile. We all went into the dining room and a table full of food was waiting for us. Draco pulled out my chair and kissed me on the cheek as I sat down. He took a seat at the end of the table, opposite of Blaise. Lucky me, I got to look at Astoria.

We all put food on our plates and made small talk throughout dinner. Dinner talk had stayed light and was easy enough. Afterwards, we went back into the sitting room for drinks and desserts.

"So, Draco, how's work going?" My ears perked up as I wasn't aware Draco actually had a job. That was probably something I should have asked him.

"Oh, I'm on a leave of absence. After my mother died, I left the company in the hands of my vice president." He said nonchalantly.

"That was probably a good idea." Blaise said as he nodded his head. "How are you doing with that anyway? Have they figured out who did it?"

"I'm doing fine. And no, they haven't figured it out. But Aurors take forever in their investigations, so I'm not surprised." He said. I was about to speak up for the Aurors when I remembered that they weren't supposed to know that I was supporting the investigation. Wisely, I kept my mouth shut.

"Good for nothing, Aurors." Blaise said, agreeing. "Well, if you ever need a lawyer, I'm always here."

"Thanks." Draco said. "And on the bright side, I got Hermione out of the whole situation, so it's not all bad."

At that I heard a snort. Astoria was trying very hard not to laugh. "Something funny?" Draco asked.

She stopped laughing. "I'm sorry." She said very seriously. "But honestly, dating a mudblood is not something to be proud of. Your mother is probably rolling over in her grave."

I could feel Draco's entire demeanor shift. His face went completely blank and I could feel his body tense. I saw Blaise watching the situation very closely. "Astoria. If you ever say anything about my mother again, I have no problem disgracing your name in front of the entire wizarding community. And if you say another derogatory thing about my girlfriend, you will wish you never crossed my path." Draco said darkly.

"Yea? What could you possibly have on me that would disgrace me?" She said challenging him.

"Do you need me to recount our little dalliance? Because I would never call it anything close to a relationship." He said bitingly. I could see her starting to turn red as if she remembered something. "I could tell the whole world how you went down on your knees..."

"Okay okay. Stop. No need to bring out trivial details about the past." She said with a wave of her hand. "I won't say anything about your mother or you little muggleborn girlfriend." She got up and strode out of the room.

"With that, I think it's time Hermione and I took our leave." Draco said standing up. He held out his hand and helped me to my feet.

"Are you sure you couldn't stay for one more drink?" Blaise asked. "I'd hate for you to leave upset."

"No, really. I think we should go." Draco paused for a minute. "However, if you excuse me for a moment, I need to use the bathroom." He said as he went to the door. "I'll be right back." He said smiling at me.

Blaise looked at me and we were silent for a moment. "You know, I have to admit, I was skeptical at first." He said.

"Excuse me?" I asked looking at him.

"I didn't know what to think, but I certainly didn't think you two were for real. I thought maybe he was using you for something or had ulterior motives." He seemed to think for a moment. "But he really does seem quite taken with you."

"You think so?" I said hesitantly. I didn't want to sound like I knew he had ulterior motives, at least I would consider pretending a pretty big ulterior motive. "He's so hard to read sometimes."

Blaise smiled. "He shows you more attention than I have ever seen him show anyone and he's actually affectionate with you." He paused as if trying to process everything he had heard tonight. "I don't think he was lying about bringing out the good in him. I have known Draco for a while and I know when he's lying or trying to cover things up. And honestly, I think you really are good for him." He looked like he was going to go on when Draco entered the room. Damn! I wanted to know what else he was going to say.

"Are you ready to go, love?" Draco said holding out his hand towards me.

I looked at him for a moment, thinking about the things Blaise said. Did he really like me? It's pretend, right? "Hermione?" He said when I didn't respond right away.

"Oh! Sorry. Spaced out for a moment. I must be tired." I said as I tried to save face. I grabbed Draco's hand and he lifted it and brought it to his mouth.

"I better get you home then." He said as he kissed my hand and brought it to his side.

I saw Blaise smirk at that. "Well, I guess you both better be going. I should probably try to find Astoria." He said leading us out to the door. "Are you seeing Pansy soon?" He asked.

"Tomorrow." Draco said as he rolled his eyes. "She wants us, well me, over for dinner."

"I don't know why you still talk to her." Blaise said. "She's still obviously in love with you."

Draco shrugged. "It's hard to stop talking to people when the pureblood community is so small."

"That is true." Blaise acquiesced. "Well, have a good night. It was a pleasure having you over Hermione. We'll have to do it again."

"Thank you, Blaise." I said as I smiled at him. "It was quite the night."

We walked out the door and then apparated to my flat. I wasn't lying before, I really was tired. "Well, that wasn't so bad." I said to Draco as he turned to look at me. "We learned a lot of good things we can go over at the meeting tomorrow."

"Yes. We did." He said. He knew I was talking about Astoria.

"Oh, one other thing." I said. "I never asked you what you did for a job."

He smirked. "What? You thought I was so rich that I would just sit around and do nothing all day?"

"Well, kind of, I guess." I said, slightly embarrassed.

"Look, I'm exhausted and I'll explain more tomorrow if you'd like but here's the quick version. My family owns M.W.E. Malfoy Worldwide Enterprises. We invest money in a lot of different things. When my father got sent to Azkaban, I became President. After my mother was killed, I took an indefinite leave of absence." He said quickly.

I nodded my head. M.W.E. I had heard of that financial company. I just never knew what it stood for. "Okay, that'll be good for now. I'm tired too." I said starting to walk towards my room.

"Oh, uh, hey." I heard Draco say from behind me. I turned around to face him. "What did Blaise say to you while I was in the bathroom?"

I tried not to blush, but I'm pretty sure it didn't work. "Oh, uh, he said that he was skeptical about us at the beginning. But now he really believed that we were together for real." I said looking at the floor.

"Oh." I heard him say quietly. "We must be doing a really job pretending then, huh?"

I looked up at him and smiled softly. "Yeah. I guess we are." My heart started to beat faster as I saw how close we were. All he had to do was lean down and his lips would be on mine. I had kissed him a bunch of times before but this was different. This could almost be real. But as if he read my mind, he shook his head and took a step back.

"Good night, Hermione." He said softly, turned around and walked to his room. I stood there stunned. And then I was confused. Why did I want him to kiss me? Did I want it to be real? I shook my head. I must really be getting caught up in this charade. _He really does seem quite taken with you_. Blaise's voice said in my head. I shook my head again and went to my room.

I got into bed with Blaise's words still floating through my mind. _I know when he's lying...you really are good for him._ I sighed. I really did need a boyfriend. But not Draco Malfoy. When this act was over, I needed to find someone to call my own. The loneliness of being single must really be getting to me if I wanted Draco to kiss me. Convinced that loneliness was the answer to these feelings, I drifted off to sleep.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

**A/N: Hey all! What do you think so far? _Please_ review. Not many people have though I see a lot of people reading. I would really like to know how I'm doing for my first Harry Potter story! I hope you're enjoying it! ~Chrissy**


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning I was a bit frazzled. I had woken up late so I rushed around trying to get ready before my meeting. I ran out of my room to see Draco sitting on the couch waiting for me. We quickly floo'd to the Ministry and were on our way to the conference room.

When we entered the room, I saw the team sitting around the table, including Gawain.

"Good morning, Hermione, Draco." He said welcoming us into the room.

We took the last two available seats next to Angelina. "Good morning." I returned.

"Before you all get down to your report about Draco's associates, there was something else I wanted to talk about." He said looking around the table.

His face took on a serious expression. "We are ready to bury your mother, Draco." He said looking directly at Draco. I put my hand on Draco's knee without even thinking about it.

I saw Draco nod his head. "When?" His hand covered mine, gave it a quick squeeze and let go. I brought my hand back to my lap and watched him.

"Tomorrow morning at 10." He responded. "At your family cemetery. Everything has already been taken care of. We put in an announcement in today's paper so that anyone who wishes to show their respects can be on time."

"Okay." Draco said. I saw a look grief flash on his face before he recovered. "That'll be adequate."

"The team will be there, of course, for your safety and to show that there is an investigation going on. Hermione will be with you however, so that we keep her away from Aurors and any suspicion that she might be working with them." He said, planning out the event. "If you don't mind, we planned on having a gathering afterwards at the Manor for everyone who attended. We can let your house elves know so that they can prepare."

Draco nodded his head again. "Yes, that's fine. The elves will know what to do."

"Excellent." He nodded. "Alright, I'll leave you all to discuss the investigation. Harry, I expect a report from you by the end of the day." He said.

"Yes sir." Harry answered. With that Gawain left the room leaving the group looking at each other.

An awkward silence fell upon the room. We all looked at each other not really sure where to go from here. Finally, it was Draco that broke the ice.

"Let's get this over with, shall we?" He said waving his hand in the air.

"Yes, yes." Angelina piped up. "So, Hermione, what have you learned over the weekend?"

"Well, lets see. The ball was on Saturday and that was quite the experience." I began. "The only person I believe we can cross off our lists of suspects is Blaise Zabini. He's the only one who really seems comfortable in his skin. And he's obviously close to Draco. "

Draco nodded his head. "Yea, I agree. Blaise wouldn't ever betray me like that."

Harry then spoke up. "Ok, if not Blaise, who else was there."

"Well, obviously there was Pansy. She seems to have the biggest problem with me. However, we have to remember that the murder happened before I came into the picture." I said. "I think she's still in love with Draco, but that could be good or bad. She could either not want anyone else to want him or she could care about him so much that she wouldn't want to hurt him. I'll probably be able to find out more tonight at dinner." I said reading off my notes.

"I thought she was married to Theo Nott? Why would she still want Draco?" Ron asked with some unusual insight.

I thought about it for a moment. "I'm not sure yet. That's why I wouldn't take her off the list."

Just then, Draco put in his two cents. "Theo too. He has always been jealous of me but he ended up with the girl. Then again, what guy isn't jealous of me?" He smirked. "Theo can't be pleased if he can see she still wants me though." He added as if he hadn't just stroked his already large ego.

"Agreed." Seamus said ignoring Draco's self appreciating comment. "We need to keep an eye on both of them. We'll make sure we're on call tonight while you both are over there."

"Millicent Bulstrode was there and she was as friendly as ever." I continued sarcastically. "But she also seemed to have more of a problem with me than with Draco. We ran into Daphne and Astoria Greengrass as well. Daphne seemed distant but she wasn't rude. Astoria wasn't bad at the ball but I'll explain dinner in a little bit."

"Was there anyone else there?" Angelina asked.

I thought for a moment. "Goyle was there." Draco answered for me. "He didn't say much to me. Seemed to be following Theo around though. He hasn't talked to me since the War."

"That's right! He was fairly quiet, actually." I said as I remembered seeing him.

"Ok, so what happened last night?" Harry asked.

"Well, I found out that Draco and Astoria have a past. I guess they had a fling that has left her quite bitter." I said thinking of the conversation from the night before. "Very bitter." I emphasized.

I looked at Draco and he just shrugged. "She wanted more than I did. She was really pushy and was not so pleased with the result." He explained.

I looked around the table, pleased to see everyone taking notes. With this many suspects, it was going to take a while to cross them each out.

"Okay, so what's the plan for tonight?" Angelina asked.

"Ron and I are on patrol tonight." Seamus answered. "We'll be in the woods where Harry and Angelina were the other night. They will be on call here. Same drill, different people. What time is dinner?"

I looked at Draco. "6pm." He answered.

"Okay, we'll be set up by 5:30, then." Seamus said.

We all nodded our heads. "What about tomorrow? What's the plan?" I asked looking down at my notebook.

"Gawain was talking to us about this before you guys showed up." Harry said. "He wants us all there at 9:30 to set up and get into our places. He will be there to represent the Ministry. He will be standing with Draco and Hermione, closest to the casket." The guests will be behind them. We have someone from the Ministry doing the actual service."

"Harry and Angelina will be at the back of the crowd, watching all the guests during the service." Seamus explained. "Ron and I will be at the Manor making sure it's safe and ready for the guests."

"Hermione, we want you and Draco there around 9:45. Early enough to greet the guests but not so early that it seems like you're part of the investigation. Make sure you have your wand on you at all times." Harry went on.

I nodded my head. I looked over at Draco surprised that he stayed so quiet during this whole conversation. "I understand." I said as I turned back to Harry.

"Same goes for you, Malfoy." Harry said. Draco just nodded his head. "Okay then, is there anything else?" Everyone was silent for a moment. "Okay, we're done here then. I'll see you all tomorrow morning at the funeral."

Draco and I were the last ones to leave. "Are you okay?" I asked my uncommonly silent companion.

"I'm fine, Granger." He said without looking at me. "I'm just…hungry. I didn't get to eat breakfast this morning since you were running around like a chicken without a head."

I sighed. At least he was back to normal. I figured his silence had something to do with the topic of his mother's funeral so I let his last comment slide. "Fine then, want to get some lunch?"

He nodded as we walked to the floo. I didn't feel like going anywhere that would bring us a lot of attention. I was getting tired of the whole media bit and I was sure tomorrow would be one hell of a media day. "Let's just eat at the Leaky Cauldron." I suggested.

He nodded again and we floo'd to the pub. We got a booth in the back of the dining room and had a little bit of privacy. Other than the insult earlier, Draco still hadn't said much.

"So, what should I be prepared for at the Nott's tonight?" I asked trying to change the subject to work.

He looked at me with a startled look on his face as if he had forgotten I was even here. "Oh, uh, well, Pansy doesn't like you." He said recovering.

"I'm well aware of that." I responded. "Is she really still in love with you?"

Draco shrugged. "I don't know. It's quite possible."

"Why would she marry Theo if she still loved you?" I asked.

"Well, isn't that the million galleon question?" He answered. He seemed to think it over. "Nott offered her something I never could: control."

"What do you mean?" I asked, intrigued,

"Pansy never had control when she was with me. She couldn't get me to do what she wanted. I wouldn't just give her money or buy her gifts whenever she wanted something. I wasn't a push over. And that's just not what she was looking for in a husband." He answered nonchalantly.

I pondered what he said. "So, she wanted a doormat?"

He shrugged again. "Nott was falling over himself for her. He'd do anything for her. He does anything for her; gives her whatever she wishes. And he has the money to do that. She must have found that appealing.

"So, Pansy doesn't actually love Theo?" I asked incredulously.

Draco shook his head. "No. She does. In Pansy's mind, having someone who responds to your every whim is love. She left me so she must have felt Nott was the better choice." He thought about what he would say next. "I don't actually know why she would be still pining for me. She got everything she wanted: a large house, lots of money, and a spineless husband."

We had ordered sandwiches for lunch which showed up promptly. While eating my turkey sandwich, I thought about all the things Draco had said. What was Pansy's problem?

For the first time since I had arrived, I looked around the pub. It was decorated for Christmas. Christmas! It was only a couple of days away! I had completely forgotten about it. I looked at Draco and realized this would be his first Christmas without his mother.

"You know, Draco, Christmas is in a couple of days." I said softly.

He looked at me for a moment and then shrugged his shoulders. "What about it?"

"Well, I usually celebrate with Harry, Ginny and Ron at Harry's place. My parents usually take a holiday for Christmas and work is so busy I haven't been able to go with them." I said. "Would you like to join us this year?"

He looked at me as if I had sprouted 10 heads. "How come they don't go to the Burrow?" He asked.

"Well, they spend Christmas Eve at the Burrow and we like to spend Christmas together. This year will be a little different with your mother's funeral…" I said drifting off. His mother's funeral is on Christmas Eve.

I saw the same realization hit him and he looked stunned for a moment. "Sure. I'll spend Christmas with you and your friends." He said slowly. "It's not like I have anywhere else to go."

I almost felt sorry for the man across from me. I stopped myself when I realized that the last thing he would ever want would be pity. I decided to try to change the subject.

"Well, since Christmas has snuck up on me this year, I need to buy some presents. Do you mind coming along?" I asked.

He looked up at me and I saw relief at the change of subjects. "Yeah, okay." He answered.

We went out to Diagon alley and it started to snow a little. There were more Christmas decorations up than the day before, with wreaths in the windows and bows everywhere. At least I wasn't the only one procrastinating on gift shopping as the entire alley was full of people.

Ron was the easiest so I got him over first. We went into a candy store and picked up a basket full of chocolate frogs, Bertie Bott's every flavor beans, fizzing whizbees, and licorice wands.

"Does Weasley really eat this much?" Draco said incredulously.

I laughed. "I'd be surprised if this lasted a week." I said looking at the overflowing basket of sweets.

"No wonder he's chubby." Draco responded.

I laughed again. "That's not nice." Draco threw me a questioning look. "True maybe, but not nice."

At that Draco chuckled and we walked back outside, shrinking the goody basket and putting it in a small bag.

Next we went into Quality Quidditch Supplies. Harry still played on the Ministry intramural team, so I thought I'd get him something for his broom.

"Do you still play?" I asked Draco and he looked over all the merchandise.

"Not since Hogwarts. Work has kept me pretty busy." He replied.

"Well, Harry still plays for fun. What's something that would be useful for him?" I asked. "I really don't know the first thing about quidditch."

Draco looked around the shelves, picked up a box and handed it to me. "This would be handy." He said.

I looked at it. It was a broom cleaning and polishing set. "It's the best there is." Draco said over my shoulder.

I turned the box over. "Merlin! It's 50 galleons!" I gasped at the price. "That's ridiculous!"

I went to put the box back when Draco took it from me. "I tell you what. I'll split the price with you."

I looked up at him surprised. "Why would you do that?"

Draco shrugged. "It's the only thing worth getting in here for someone who plays casually. I know how much it's worth it to have good quidditch supplies."

I continued to stare at him but eventually smiled. "Thanks Draco. Harry will love this." I said taking the box and bringing it to the counter. Draco handed me 25 galleons and I paid the rest.

I shrank the box and put it in the bag with Ron's gift. We walked back outside and Draco took my hand in his. "So, who's left?" He asked.

"Ginny." I said. "I was thinking about getting her a new cloak."

We walked over to Madame Malkin's and entered the bustling shop. An assistant came over to me. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, I was looking for a cloak." I said looking at all the robes hanging everywhere. They had racks of pre-made robes for the Christmas season.

"Sure thing. Right this way." I went with her and I saw Draco looking through the men's robes.

"Here is the cloak section." She pointed which was right next to some scarves, gloves, and hats. There was a sign that said "Outerwear" floating above the area.

I looked through a rack of cloaks in all different colors. I picked up a black cloak that had a flower design embroidered in it with black thread. "That is the latest in fashion and is good for all seasons. It has a heating charm for the winter and a cooling charm for the summer." The sales associate said. "It is 20 galleons."

"I'll take it." I said as I looked around the rest of the section. My eyes fell upon a dark green scarf. I looked through the room to see Draco still perusing robes. I picked up the scarf and it felt very soft.

"Oh, that's top of the line. It's made of fleece but it is charmed so that it will never get wet." The associate went on to explain. "While it's made of fleece and quite warm, it actually feels like silk and you can choose to get initials embroidered on it for no extra charge. It's 40 galleons."

40 galleons for a scarf?! It better be top of the line for that price, I thought. I looked over at Draco to see he wasn't paying any attention to me. "Okay, I'll take it. Can you gift wrap it too?" I asked.

The girl nodded her head. "And what initials would you like on it?"

"DM." I said looking at Draco.

The girl smiled. "Right away, miss." She disappeared in the back for 5 minutes and came back with 2 gift boxes. She brought me to the counter and showed me both items. The black cloak was neatly folded and looked beautiful with a red and green ribbon on top. The scarf was folded so that the "DM" was facing out, embroidered with a thick black thread. I handed her 60 galleons and shrank the scarf box and put it in my pocket. Then I grabbed Ginny's present and walked over to Draco.

"Did you find what you wanted?" He asked looking at the box.

I opened it and showed him the cloak. "I think she'll like it." I said closing the box and shrinking it. I put it in the bag with Harry and Ron's gifts. "I think that's it."

"Good. It's nearly time to head to the Nott's." Draco said looking at his watch.

"Wow! It's 5pm already?! Time really flew by." I said surprised by the time we spent shopping.

"Well, I don't think I could've handled anymore shopping anyway." Draco said.

We apparated back to my flat and I put the boxes into my room. I was about to start the shower when I heard Draco call for me.

"Hey, Granger!"

I went back out to the living room. "Yeah?"

"Wear one of your new robes tonight." He said. "It's probably better that you don't wear muggle clothing."

I nodded. I didn't even think about that. "Okay." I said as I walked back in my room.

I pulled out my new dark blue velvet robe and put it on my bed. I took a shower quickly and soon had my robe on. It fit me very well, and it was nice and warm. I did my hair to make it smooth and wavy. And I put on a little bit of makeup. I put my wand in my sleeve and the coin that we used for the party in a small pocket. I took a quick look in the mirror and was happy with the way I looked.

I went out to the living room, this time beating Draco out. He walked out 5 minutes later. He was wearing black pants with a white button down shirt over a green sweater. He wore dark green robes over the outfit. His pale blond hair was still damp from his shower but looked good.

"Ready to go?" He asked as he walked up to me.

"As ready as ever." I responded.

He held out his arm and we apparated to the front of the mansion that we were at just a few days before. I looked towards the woods and saw a flash of red hair. I smiled to know that Ron and Seamus were there. I took a deep breath and we walked towards the door. Before we got there the door opened and Pansy was standing there.

She was wearing a dark green set of robes and seemed pleased to see that she matched Draco. She wore a gaudy amount of jewelry that seemed to be everywhere. She smiled at Draco as we walked out and then turned and scowled at me.

"Draco! I'm so glad you could make it." She said purposely ignoring me.

"I had said _Hermione_ and I would." Draco replied, stressing that I was here.

She frowned at my name and then turned to show us into the mansion. We followed her into a sitting room that was completely tasteless. You could tell everything was expensive but it was as gaudy as her jewelry.

Theo stood when he saw us enter the room. "Draco, Hermione, glad you could make it." He said as he shook Draco's hand.

"Thank you for having us." I said feeling the glare Pansy was sending my way.

"_I_ didn't invite _her_." She said under her breath.

Draco and I sat across from the Notts on a rather uncomfortable couch. Theo looked over to Draco. "I heard that your mother's funeral is tomorrow morning."

"Yes, 10am." Draco nodded. "Will you be able to make it?"

"Pansy and I wouldn't dream of missing it." Theo answered. "Would we Pans?"

Pansy looked at Theo and then smiled at Draco. "Of course not. I wouldn't think about missing an important event like this. You might need me…erm…us."

I saw Theo's eyes narrow at her slip but was normal in a moment. "While I appreciate the support of you and your husband, I'm sure Hermione will be all that I need during this difficult time." Draco said. He put his arm around me and I saw Pansy scowl. I wondered briefly if he was trying to get a rise out of her.

However, Theo's eyes brightened at his comment. "Of course, of course! How wonderful it is that you have found Hermione, Draco. It really was about time you found yourself a girlfriend."

"Quite right." Draco responded. "It was definitely time I started thinking about the future and spending time with a quality woman."

I saw Pansy's eyes narrow and for once her glare wasn't directed at me. "Well, Draco, the past isn't all bad. There are some things worth holding on to." She said silkily.

"No, I can't think of one thing that would be worth it." Draco answered, a smirk appearing on his face.

She had an incredulous look on her face and looked like she was about to explode when her husband cut in.

"That's right, the past is the past. It's all about the future now." Theo said. "I know you two haven't been together long, but do you see a future together?"

Draco and I looked at each other. For the first time, Draco looked like he was at a loss of words. "Oh come now, Theo. We're so new. Let us get to a month before we start pondering the future." I said lightly, laughing a little to lighten up the mood.

Draco took my lead. He chuckled. "Really, Theo. We're still getting reacquainted. But it has been a wonderful time." He said as he winked at me.

Pansy now looked like she was about to vomit. I almost felt sorry for the girl. Almost.

A house elf then popped into the room. "Master, the foods be ready." He said looking down at the ground.

"Time to eat, then!" Theo announced. He helped Pansy up and then led us all into the dining room.

There was a ton of food on the table. Apparently, the elves went all out for this meal. We all ate in relative silence not being able to put a real dent into all the food.

After dinner, we retired to the sitting room again. I was glad to see the evening winding down.

"You know Draco, Theo and I were discussing this earlier." Pansy started. "Since your mother is gone, you're more than welcome to spend Christmas with us." She said hopefully.

"Absolutely, Draco. My family puts on a magnificent Christmas dinner and you're always welcome." Theo agreed.

"Thank you for the offer, but I'll be spending it with Hermione." Draco answered.

Theo nodded his head while Pansy started to turn red. "Don't tell me you're spending it with the Weasels and Potter!" She all but screamed.

"In fact, we are." I answered. She turned to me with anger on her face.

"Look what you have done to him!" She yelled at me. "Poisoning him to be no better than to be with a goody two shoes mudblood!"

Draco stood up at this. "That's enough, Pansy! I told you that I would not tolerate you insulting Hermione."

Theo also stood up and grabbed Pansy's arm. "Ok, Pans. I think that's quite enough." He said roughly.

She turned to Theo and yanked her arm out of his grasp. "You think that's enough? Well, I'll tell you what's not enough! This marriage is not enough! Being with you is certainly not enough! And not even your money isn't enough to make me love you!" She screamed. "And you will never ever come close to being enough! You'll never hold a candle to Draco!" At that, her hands flew to her mouth as if she just realized everything she had just said. Theo's face was turning a bright red and Pansy ran out of the room.

I watched Theo take a few deep breaths while Draco and I stood there dumb struck. "I am sorry you had to see that." He began. "Pansy just gets in her moods some time. She'll be fine by the morning." He said, more to himself than to us.

Draco cleared his throat. "Yes, well, it's getting late and we really must be going." He said grabbing a hold of my hand.

"Thank you for coming, both of you. I'm sure you can find your own way out." Theo said more as a dismissal than a goodbye.

We walked out of the sitting room, through the hallway to the foyer and out the door. I made a small wave to Ron who nodded and walked back into the woods. We apparated to my flat and were silent as we stood there.

"Well, that was interesting." I said after absorbing the last half an hour.

"Yes, that was." Draco agreed.

We both sat on the couch, exhausted. "I had no idea she was that in love with you." I said.

"Me neither." Draco responded, putting his arm around me.

I leaned my head on his shoulder. "It must be killing Theo." I pondered.

"Indeed." Draco agreed as he rested his head on top of mine.

We sat there like that, staring out into space, in our thoughts for a good 5 minutes. I must have fallen asleep because I heard him say, "I believe it's time for bed."

I nodded my head, but wasn't quite awake. I heard a chuckle and the next thing I knew I was being carried. In a short amount of time, I felt the bed underneath me and my shoes being removed. He put a blanket over me and I felt him kiss my forehead. "Goodnight, Hermione." Was the last thing I heard before giving into a deep slumber.


	8. Chapter 8

I awoke to the sound of the other shower starting. I looked at the clock to see it was time to get up. I smiled as I vaguely recalled being carried into my room last night. It seemed uncharacteristically nice for him but I wasn't going to complain. Sleeping in a bed is always better than sleeping on the couch.

I shivered as I got out of bed, the cold seeping into my bedroom. I looked out the window to see a cloudy sky, which seemed fitting for the day ahead. I went to the closet and picked out a black ankle length robe which would go over black pants and black long sleeve top. There was no way I was going to wear a dress on such a cold day.

I took a long shower, savoring the heat that the water was giving off. When I finally stepped back into my bedroom I shivered again as the cold hit me. I quickly grabbed my clothes and put them on. I decided to leave my hair down, using my hair products to make my hair wavy. I put on a little bit of make up and walked over to my dresser. I saw the pin Draco had bought me sitting on top of my dresser and thought it was fitting to wear it so I pinned it to my robes. I put my wand in my robes and walked out to the living room.

Draco was already standing there wearing a black robe with a black suit underneath. He was staring at the fireplace and I almost felt bad interrupting him. He seemed to be lost in thought.

"Are you ready?" I asked, looking at my watch. It was 9:40. I grabbed my coat from the couch as I walked over to him.

He nodded as I stepped to his side. He looked briefly at my brooch and smiled slightly. He held out his arm and we apparated once I grabbed on to it.

After the dizzying feeling of side along apparating passed I noticed that we were standing outside the gates of a cemetery. A cold wind swept through and I pulled my coat tighter around me. It looked like it was about to snow but was holding off for the time being. I saw at least 100 white chairs set up and a casket over a freshly dug grave. The aurors were already there, standing where they said they would be and talking amongst themselves.

I took his hand and he gave it a squeeze as we walked over to the aurors.

Harry was standing next to Angelina both clad in black robes. They both gave us a small smile and for once there were no glares or sarcastic remarks aimed at Draco.

I greeted them both as we stopped in front of them. "Good morning." I said.

"Good morning 'Mione." Harry said. "Malfoy." He added but with no malice in his voice.

Draco nodded his head in acknowledgment. "Potter." He nodded his head at Angelina as well.

Angelina didn't say anything; she just looked sad which was appropriate for where we were. She patted Draco on the arm quickly and then turned away.

"Hermione, Draco." Gawain said as he came up behind us. "You should get to your places. People are going to start to show up."

We nodded and went off closer to the gate in order to greet the guests as they arrived.

Soon, people started to flow in, all dressed in black robes. Narcissa must have known a lot of people. Everyone shook Draco's hand as they walked in and some of the politer people nodded at me. The less polite ones ignored that I was there completely. The first of Draco's friends to arrive was Blaise sans Astoria.

"Hey man." Blaise said as he shook Draco's hand. "Hello Hermione." He said giving me a small smile.

"Hi Blaise." Draco replied. "Thanks for coming."

"Of course I would come." Blaise said solemnly. He walked off and more people came through.

I started to wonder if there were enough chairs out for all the people who were coming. Pansy, Theo, and Greg Goyle were next.

Theo had his arm around Pansy who was wearing an obviously expensive black robe with jewelry in everywhere. Goyle tagged along behind them.

"Draco!" Pansy said as the group approached. She looked like she was going to give Draco a hug when he took a step back. She stopped quickly and then just smiled at him.

Draco inclined his head as Theo came up and shook his hand. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you." Draco responded as the group moved passed.

Theo gave me a small smile as he walked by, more acknowledgment than the rest of the group offered.

Daphne and Astoria Greengrass showed up with Millicent Bulstrode but they walked right passed us, not even looking our way. I saw everyone from the ball come through those gates and many more that I'm sure wished to give last respects to Narcissa.

"It time to start." Gawain was once again beside us and ushering us to the front row of the white chairs.

They had an open casket for Narcissa and as we passed by her she looked like an angel sleeping. Draco grabbed my hand hard as we passed her and didn't let go when we sat down.

The Minister started the ceremony and talked about how we should be celebrating her life. Draco's hand squeezed my hand harder and when I looked at him, his mouth was set as a fine line and his eyes were focused on the casket. Before I knew it, the Minister had asked Draco to put a bouquet of white roses on top of her casket.

I looked at Draco and he didn't move. I nudged him a little, wondering if he had spaced out and not heard the Minister. He looked at me with a look in his eyes that asked me to go with him. I nodded as we both stood up, still holding each other's hand. We walked to the bouquet of roses which he picked up and then laid on top of the casket. We stood there, with our backs to the crowd for what seemed like forever. He stood there and stared at his mother and the pain on his face was almost palpable. I squeezed his hand again and he looked over to me. He nodded and we walked back to our seats.

The Minister finished the service and announced that the reception would be at Malfoy Manor. Everyone filed down to the casket and paid their last respects before leaving the cemetery. Draco didn't leave his seat so neither did I. I saw his friends glance over at us and then continue out of the cemetery. Soon, everyone was gone with the exception of the aurors. We stood up and Draco looked around to see that no one was there. He let go of my hand and walked over to his mother's casket. I stood there watching him, unable to look away knowing that I was about to witness something heartbreaking. I saw him reach out a hand to the casket and then he dropped to his knees. His head buried in his hands and his body was wracked by silent sobs.

I jumped when I felt someone touch my shoulder. "We're going to head to the manor. Stay as long as he needs to." Harry said with sadness in his eyes. I nodded my head while Harry and Angelina left the cemetery. I walked over to Draco and placed my hand on his shoulder. I felt him stiffen under my touch and then relax, no longer crying. He slowly got back on his feet and wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his robe. He turned to me and his eyes which were normally a dark metallic gray were shining silver. He drew me into a hug and wrapped his arms tightly around me as if his life depended on it.

"She died for me and I will not let her down." He said softly yet determined.

I nodded my head. "I know, Draco." I said honestly.

He let go of me and looked at me for a moment. Then, he grabbed my hand and turned back to the casket. "Goodbye, Mother." He whispered. He then turned and led me back out of the cemetery.

We walked past the gate then stopped. He dropped my hand and turned towards me. "We shall apparate to the Manor." He said calmly.

I looked at him and saw the normal Draco back. His eyes were back to the normal dark gray and his smirk was set firmly on his face. "It's ok to be grieving, you know. You don't have to pretend." I said, sad to see his walls back up.

"Isn't everything we're doing just pretend? Why stop now?" He said coldly.

What he said hurt, though I wasn't sure why. He was right, everything was pretend. He must have seen the look of hurt on my face and his face softened. "Look, Granger. I have never shed a tear for anyone until today so what you saw was a first for me. I can't stay like that, the grief stays in the cemetery. It's easier for me to pretend."

"Pretending isn't the answer, though." I replied. "What will happen when you can't pretend anymore?"

He smiled a small smile at me. "If you pretend long enough, it might become reality. And besides, if it doesn't work, this case should be long over and I won't be your problem anymore."

For some reason, my stomach dropped at the last part of that statement. "I suppose you're right." I said softly.

He grabbed my hand. "So, you ready to get to the Manor?"

I nodded and he apparated us to the Manor. We walked through the gate and up the walkway. The doors were opened for us by a house elf and we were shown into the ballroom. Everyone was there eating and talking, the room full of flowers and black curtains hanging from the windows. We walked into the room and everyone was silent. Draco took this as his cue to say something.

"Thank you everyone for coming to give respect to my mother. I hope you all remember her for what she was: a loyal wife, a doting mother, and someone who knew the important things in life." A server had come over with a drink and Draco took one and lifted it up, "To Narcissa Black Malfoy." I grabbed a glass and lifted it with the crowd. "To Narcissa Black Malfoy." We all said in unison. We took a sip of our drinks and everyone went back to talking.

Harry then walked over to us. "Hey. So, uh, I'm sorry about your loss, Malfoy." He said holding out his hand.

Draco seemed to look at it for a moment. "Thanks Potter." He said shaking the proffered hand.

"Hey Harry." I interjected. "I invited Draco over tomorrow for Christmas, I hope you don't mind." I said quickly hoping to take advantage of the fact that they were getting along.

Harry raised his eyebrow at me and then seemed to realize that Draco had nowhere else to go. "Of course." He turned to Draco. "You're more than welcome to come."

At this, Draco nodded his head. "I really need to get around the room. Hermione, would you care to join me?" He asked holding out his arm.

I nodded my head. "I'll see you later Harry."

We walked around greeting many people I had never seen before. Everyone offered their condolences and shook his hand. This time, most even acknowledged me when he introduced me as his girlfriend.

Blaise walked over to us about an hour after we arrived. "A lot of people are here, Draco."

"So I see." Draco replied.

"I'm really sorry, man." Blaise said sincerely. "Are you ok?"

"Thanks. And yes." Draco said. "Especially with having Hermione here." Draco added when he saw the skeptical look Blaise gave him.

Blaise smiled at the comment. "Indeed." He then turned to me. "You better take care of him."

"Of course." I answered while leaning my head against Draco's shoulder. "Where's Astoria?"

"Oh, we broke up." Blaise said indifferently.

"Sorry to hear it." Draco said. "But we really need to talk to some of those people across the room."

Draco led me across the ballroom when I noticed Goyle coming straight for us. When he was about 15 feet away from us, I saw him lift his wand. I quickly grabbed mine from up my sleeve knowing that Draco hadn't seen him.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

I pushed Draco out of the way and yelled, "EXPELLIARMUS!"

The green light whizzed past my head but my spell hit its mark. Goyle's wand flew into the air and into the hands of Harry who had ran up and used a binding spell as soon as he saw me go for my wand. People started to scream and everyone ran out of the Manor.

Draco stood up and looked at me. I smiled at him and then ran over to where Harry was with Goyle. Angelina, Ron, Seamus and Gawain were there already.

"So, is he it?" I asked when I got there out of breath. "Is he the killer?"

Just then, Goyle looked up at me and it seemed like a cloud was being lifted from his eyes. "What the bloody hell is going on?" He whispered.

Draco came up behind me but said nothing. I looked at Harry and he nodded, confirming my suspicion.

"He was imperius'd." I said turning to Draco. "He didn't kill your mother."

"Imperius'd?" Goyle repeated. "To kill Draco?"

"Who the bloody hell is trying to kill me?!" Draco suddenly yelled venting his frustration.

I jumped slightly at the sound of his voice. He put his hand on my shoulder and I put mine on top of his.

"We don't know, Draco." Gawain was the one to answer. "Everyone left and there were a lot of people here. We had already figured it was someone you knew but now that it is certain. And now we know that it wasn't Goyle." He said as he pointed at the bound boy.

I heard him sigh behind me. "At my mother's funeral. How low can you be?" He said exasperated.

"You two have had a long day. Why don't you go home and try to have a Happy Christmas." Gawain said looking at both of us. "By the way, good work with your wand, Hermione." He praised.

"Thank you, sir. Maybe we should get home." I said smiling.

"I need to get some things from my room, first." Draco said. "I'll be back in a few minutes." He turned and left the ballroom.

"Okay Harry. Draco and I will be there around noon?" I said as I turned to face him and Ron.

Harry nodded. "Sure, that will be fine."

"Wait a minute!" I heard Ron pipe up. "Malfoy is coming over for Christmas?!" He said incredulously.

I sighed. "Yes, Ron. I invited him over."

"Why the hell would you do that?!" Ron said practically yelling.

Harry put his hand on Ron's shoulder. "Ron, he just lost the only family he had left. He has nowhere else to go." Harry explained. "And besides, Hermione wants him there."

I blushed at the last part. I saw Ron look at me with a look that asked if it was true. "Yes Ron. I don't want Draco to be alone on Christmas. He has been through so much already."

Ron's shoulders sagged. "Fine then. He can come. But he better not be a git."

"He's Malfoy! Of course he's going to be a git." Harry laughed.

Ron laughed too. "I guess that's true." He glanced at me. "I guess if you're going to be nice, might as well do it at Christmas." He said with a small smile.

I smiled back as Draco came back into the room. "Are you ready?" I asked and he nodded his head.

"Happy Christmas Eve, everyone." I said to the group.

Draco and I then left and apparated back to my flat as soon as we were outside.

I plopped down on the couch and sighed. Draco sat next to me and I could feel him staring at me.

"Yes, Draco?" I said, turning to him.

He looked like he wanted to say something but instead just shrugged. "It has been a long day." He settled on saying.

"Yes, it has." I said as I thought of everything that happened today.

Draco nodded. "It's too bad Goyle wasn't the murderer..."

He looked sullen just then and I decided that I needed to cheer him up. "You know, it's Christmas, can we talk about something other than death?"

He looked at me and smiled slightly. "Yea, ok. What do you want to talk about?"

I looked around as I thought about what to talk about. I noticed that my flat was distinctly missing the decorations I usually put up for Christmas. "You know, I like to decorate for Christmas but we've been so busy, I haven't had the time. Would you like to help me?"

Draco looked confused for a moment. "I have never decorated for Christmas before. The house elves always did it for us."

I laughed. "Well, let's get going then." I accio'd a box from the closet that held all of my Christmas decorations. "Let's see, the one thing we're missing is a tree."

"I can do that." Draco said as he transfigured my coffee table into a Christmas tree. I laughed again and waved my wand causing the decorations to fly out of the box and onto the tree. A string of rainbow lights wrapped itself around the tree and ornaments of different shapes and sizes hung from each branch.

Draco bent over the box to see what else was in it. He pulled out a string of garland. "What is this for?" He asked.

I waved my wand again and the garland flew from his hands and on to the walls. It strung itself along the wall from the ceiling making half circles all the way around. He followed suit and soon there were red ribbons on the garland and all that was left was the angel for the top of the tree. "I like to do this by hand." I said as I took the angel out.

Unfortunately, Draco had made the tree a little too tall so I couldn't reach the top even on my tip toes. I jumped when I felt hands on my waist and just when I was going to turn around; he lifted me into the air so that I was tall enough to place the angel on top. After I placed her securely on top, he put me back down and I turned around to smile at him. He was closer than I expected and had to look up to see his face.

He looked down at me seriously and I wondered what was going through his mind. "Thank you, Hermione." He said softly.

"For what?" I inquired.

"For saving my life today." He said as he bent down and kissed me gently on the lips.

My stomach flipped at the contact and all too soon it was over. He smiled at me and moved back to the couch. "We did a good job." He said as he looked around.

I was rooted to my spot, my lips still tingling. I smiled and looked around. My flat was certainly more cheerful now. "We did." I agreed.

"Do you want to go out for dinner?" He suggested.

"Nah. Let's eat in tonight." I said. "I've had enough of the public for today."

He nodded his agreement. "Let me get a couple of house elves then." He suggested. "I'll just apparate to the manor quickly."

I raised my eyebrow. "I don't know if I want to be served by house elves. You know how I feel about it." I said.

Draco chuckled. "Look, we don't have any food here. And they're great cooks...it's a holiday!" He argued. However, he could see that I wasn't about to relent. "Okay, I tell you what, what if I pay them for their services tonight? And if they don't take it, I'll make it a Christmas gift." He offered.

I smiled. I couldn't argue with that. "Okay. I'll allow that"

He smiled and apparated away. Within 5 minutes he was back with 2 house elves and a bunch of food. "This is Misty and Dandy." The two elves bowed at me.

"How do you do?" I said smiling at them.

"Please make us a fabulous Christmas Eve dinner." Draco said to the elves. They smiled and quickly ran to the kitchen. "So, what shall we do in the mean time?" He asked as he walked over to me.

"Let's watch a movie?" I suggested. He nodded and we sat on the couch. When we turned on the TV we saw that _Its a Wonderful Life_ was on. He put his arm around me and we watched the movie in silence.

It was dark by the time the movie was over and all we had was the light from the TV and Christmas tree. I turned on the lights and then the house elves came back in.

"Dinner be ready master. Is on the table." Misty said in a squeaky voice.

"Thank you." Draco said as we got up.

When we walked to the table, I gasped at the amount of food that was on it. They used a spell to lengthen the table and there was a roasted turkey, roasted potatoes, brussel sprouts, fresh baked rolls, stuffing and cranberry sauce. We sat down and took from the many dishes.

As we finished our meal, the table still seemed full. "What will we do with all this extra food?" I asked.

"I'll send it to an orphanage." Draco said. "That's what my mother used to do with leftovers." He quietly added.

I smiled. "Well, that's really nice." I said as I sat back in my chair stuffed.

The elves soon vanished everything from the table. They apparently knew what to do with it. And then the table was full again, this time with cookies, pies, chocolate, candy and cakes.

"I don't know how I can eat any of that!" I said looking at the food.

"Just nibble what you can. Whatever we don't eat we can bring with us tomorrow." Draco said as if this was a common occurrence.

I grabbed a cookie and we went back out to the living room.

We sat on the couch and I stared at the Christmas tree. Ever since I was a little girl, I was always entranced by the Christmas tree with its lights and decorations. I used to sneak out in the middle of the night and sit on the couch and get lost in its lights.

My mind wandered to Draco's kiss. Why did it affect me so much? I looked over at him and he was looking at the Christmas tree as well. His face was lit up by the lights and he had a small smile on his face. His hair was glowing from the rainbow of colors on the tree.

"You know, my mother used to have a 20 foot Christmas tree every year." Draco said though I'm not sure if he was talking to me or to himself. "She used to use white lights and glass and silver ornaments. A bright white star would go on top. And there were always a ton of presents underneath it."

He looked at me and smiled. "She loved Christmas."

I smiled back at him. I wasn't really sure what to say and decided that he probably didn't need me to say anything. I took his hand and he continued to look at the Christmas tree.

"It won't be the same without her." He said quietly.

"Well, you won't be alone." I said assuringly.

He looked at me and took his hand out of mine. "This year." He said almost as a question.

I wasn't sure what to say to that. After the case was over, why would we spend Christmas together again? In attempt to say something, I said the first thing that came to my head. "We can always stay friends, you know."

A look of sadness flitted across his face and then it was replaced by anger. "I don't need your pity, Granger. I have plenty of friends, I don't need another one." He said gruffly.

I was taken back. What had I said to cause such a reaction? "I wasn't pitying you, you know. I wouldn't ever attempt to pity the great Draco Malfoy." I said, hurt at the flat out rejection of friendship.

He looked at me as if trying to determine if I was lying. "If it wasn't pity, then what was it?" He asked sarcastically.

"Look, I was just thinking that perhaps we had moved on from barely tolerating each other to something akin to friendship. But maybe I was wrong." I said as I crossed my arms in front of me.

His face softened a bit. "Okay. Maybe it wasn't pity." He admitted.

I looked over at him. He had a hard day today, maybe I shouldn't be fighting with him. "Let's just enjoy Christmas, shall we? Let's not argue." I said calling a truce.

He nodded his head. We both relaxed a little and I could feel myself calming down.

"So now what?" He asked beside me.

I looked around and saw a Scrabble set next to the fireplace. "Want to play Scrabble?"

"What is Scrabble?" He asked.

I got up, grabbed the game and set it up on the floor, since my coffee table was currently a tree. I explained the rules and he caught on quickly. Our scores were pretty close until the very end.

"A-L-O-H-O-M-O-R-A, alohomora!" Draco grinned as he put the letters down using an "A" from one of the words on the board.

"That's not a word!" I argued.

"It is too!" He shot back.

"It's a spell!" I pointed out.

"That's still a word!" He said. "Does it say 'no spells' in the rules?"

"It's a muggle game! Of course not!" I said my cheeks getting flushed.

"Then it's legal!" He said triumphantly.

Crap. There was nothing in the rules about wizarding words. And it wasn't a proper noun or anything. Damn.

"Fine. It's legal." I conceded grudgingly.

And because of that word, Draco won by 15 points. I was still grumbling about the game and Draco was still gloating when Dandy came in with hot chocolate for both of us and a plate of cookies.

We stayed on the floor eating cookies and sipping chocolate when I yawned. "Merlin! It's 11pm!" I said looking at my watch.

Draco got up and stretched. "Definitely time for bed."

"What about the house elves?" I asked.

"They're heading back to the Manor when we go to bed." He said helping me to my feet.

"Happy Christmas, Draco." I said as I watched him go into his room.

"Happy Christmas, Hermione. Good night." He said as he closed the door behind him.

I looked around at the decorated room and smiled. I accio'd a couple of stockings from the closet that I had forgotten about until now. I filled them with treats left over from the dinner. I put them on the fireplace and the words "Hermione" and "Draco" appeared on them. I accio'd my gift for Draco and put it under the tree. It wasn't a lot, but I hoped he'd like it.

After I was satisfied with everything, I went into my room. I got ready for bed and snuggled into my blankets. I must have been exhausted because as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was fast asleep.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for the reviews everyone. They're very encouraging! I'm trying to incorporate any ideas that come alone (theconscience - this is about as emotional about Narcissa Draco is going to get and will probably be it). Please keep reviewing. I'm not sure how long this story is going to be yet but the more reviews I get, the more I want to write. :-) ~Chrissy


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning I awoke earlier than I had expected. I looked at the clock and saw it was only 8am but I knew that I wasn't getting back to sleep. I slipped out of bed and put my bathrobe over my pajamas. I looked out the window and saw snow covering everything. It was snowing still and I smiled at the thought of a white Christmas. I brushed my teeth and then went out to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. While it was brewing, I went out to the living room to admire what I had accomplished last night. The stockings were still hanging out over the fireplace and the Christmas tree was still lit up. Underneath the tree, Draco's present sat waiting to be opened. I went back to the kitchen to retrieve a cup of coffee and then sat on the couch, reveling in the Christmas spirit.

I heard Draco's door open and then heard his footsteps carry him into the kitchen. He sat down next to me with a steaming cup of coffee in his hand.

"Happy Christmas, Draco." I said.

"Happy Christmas." He replied, looking around.

I got up to hand him his stocking and he looked at me with amusement. "A stocking?" He quipped. "I haven't had one of these since I was a kid."

"I don't think you're ever too old for a stocking." I said smiling.

He looked through the stocking and smiled at all the goodies. I went over to the tree and picked up his gift. I handed it to him and sat down next to him.

"What is this?" He asked, taking the wrapped box from me.

"What does it look like?" I teased. "It's a Christmas present."

"Oh." He said, looking at the wrapped box.

"Aren't you going to open it?" I asked.

"Yes, but I need to go get your gift. I didn't get a chance to wrap it, though." He said getting up and disappearing to his room.

My gift? I had to say, I wasn't expecting anything from him. Hell, a day without a fight would've been a gift in it's own right.

He came back to the couch and handed me a small black velvet box. He was right, it wasn't wrapped, but the box was beautiful by itself.

"Should I go first?" He asked picking up his gift.

I nodded. He slowly undid the bow and lifted the top off. He picked up the scarf and let his fingers run over the embroidery.

"Thanks Hermione." He said sincerely as he wrapped it around his neck.

"It's charmed to always stay dry and be really soft." I explained remembering what the sales clerk told me.

He smiled. "It really is lovely. Now open mine."

I took the top off the box off my gift and gasped at what I saw. Inside the box was a necklace that was made up of ruby flowers with emerald leaves between each of the flowers making a chain that went clasp to clasp. "It's beautiful." I whispered as I took it out of the box.

"It was my mother's. It's what I went back for last night." He said quietly. "I wanted you to have something of hers and I remembered you saying your favorite color was red. I thought it would be appropriate for everything you're doing to track down her killer."

I looked up at him surprised that it was something of hers. "Thank you, Draco." I said as he took the necklace from me and put it around my neck.

"It suits you." He said as he looked at me.

I could feel myself blush though I wasn't sure why. "I guess we should get ready to go over to Harry's." I said quickly trying to hide my pink cheeks.

I got up and practically ran to my room. I shut the door behind me and leaned against it. What was wrong with me? I walked over to my mirror and admired the necklace. It really was exquisite. I took it off and put it on my dresser. I quickly took a shower and picked out a dark red blouse and black pants. I put the necklace back on and smiled to see that it matched beautifully. I decided to keep my hair straight and grabbed the gifts for Harry, Ron and Ginny.

When I walked out of my room, Draco was already dressed and ready. He was wearing a dark green sweater with brown slacks. He had on a black coat and I could see his new scarf around his neck.

"Let me go grab some dessert." I said as I started for the kitchen.

I went into the kitchen and grabbed some of the leftover pies and a plate full of cookies. I conjured a few boxes and placed them inside. I walked back out into the living room and saw Draco sitting on the couch.

"You ready to go?" I asked as I put on my black pea coat. I shrank the gifts and desserts then put them in my pocket.

"How do we get there?" He said.

"We'll have to apparate. When the Order was there, they had disabled all the floos. Harry never set them up again." I said holding out my hand. For once it wasn't me who was doing the side along apparating.

He grabbed my hand and we ended up about a block away from 12 Grimmauld Place. As we walked to Harry's, I enjoyed being out in the snow. I looked over at Draco and watched the snow melt once it hit the top of his pale blond hair.

"The snow is the same color as your hair!" I teased, slightly exaggerating the paleness of his hair.

"It is not! My hair is blond, not white!" He retorted.

I grabbed a hand full of snow from the sidewalk and threw it at him. "See! The same color!" I gasped between laughs.

"Oh, that's it Granger. You're done." He said as he grabbed a handful of snow.

I started to run with Draco hot on my heels. I finally got to Harry's and banged on the door but I wasn't quick enough. As soon as I heard someone get to the door I felt a bunch of snow hit me in the back of the head.

"Gotcha!" Draco laughed.

I turned around laughing as Draco came up behind me. I put up my hands in surrender and he grabbed them. We stood there holding hands and smiling at each other.

"Ahem." I heard from behind me. I turned around to see Ginny, her eyebrow cocked in amusement. She looked beautiful in a green knee length dress. She had a simple gold necklace on that had a heart pendant. Her red hair nicely complimented everything she was wearing. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No no." I said out of breath. "Happy Christmas Ginny!" I gave her a hug and walked into the warm room. My head was getting cold from the melted snow.

Draco came in behind me. "Ginny." He said as he walked past her.

"Let me take your coats. The boys are in the living room. Oh, and, Penny is here, too." She said as she gathered our coats. I took out my gifts and desserts from my pocket and made them their correct size. I handed Ginny the boxes of pies and cookies.

"Penny? Like, the auror's secretary?" I asked slightly confused.

"Yep, that one." Ginny answered. "Ron invited her."

"Are they together?" I asked.

"Not officially. They just went out on a couple of dates. And you know Ron, he's not really into commitment or anything." Ginny replied.

Draco started to look uncomfortable. "Are we just going to stand here?" He asked impatiently.

"Go on in. I'll be right there." Ginny said pushing us towards the living room.

"Hermione!" Harry and Ron yelled as we walked into the room. They immediately got up and gave me a hug. Harry was wearing a red button down with black pants and Ron went a little more casual with a blue sweater with black jeans.

"Happy Christmas! Oh, and hello Malfoy." Harry said as he saw Draco standing behind me. He took my gifts from me and put them under the Christmas tree.

"Happy Christmas Potter, Weasley..." Draco looked at Penny but seemed like he couldn't remember her name.

"Penny." She said as she got up and walked over to us. She looked pretty with a silver blouse and black skirt. She had smile on her face . "Hi Hermione!" She gave me a hug. "Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas, Penny." I replied giving her a quick hug back.

"Sit down, don't just stand there." Ginny said as she walked through the door holding a plate of the cookies we had brought with us.

Draco and I sat down on the brown leather love seat while Ginny and Harry had the matching couch. Ron and Penny were sitting on another love seat but it was made of a brown velour type material.

"Hermione, what a beautiful necklace!" Penny said as we all got settled in.

"Is it real?!" Ginny squealed when she noticed it. She got up and ran over to me to get a closer look.

"Of course it's real." Draco answered. "I would never get her something that wasn't real."

"You gave this to her?!" Ginny said flabbergasted.

"It's my Christmas present." I said as I blushed slightly.

"That's _some_ Christmas present." Ginny said as she went back to her seat.

Harry and Ron looked uncomfortable and Penny was smiling at me. "Well, I think it's sweet." She said.

I heard Draco scoff at the word "sweet" but he didn't say anything. "How was Christmas Eve at the Burrow?" I asked trying to change the subject.

"Great!" Ron exclaimed. "Everyone was there and Bill and Fleur's kids are getting big."

"Molly really outdid herself this year." Harry agreed.

"You really should come along one year." Ron said. "We'd love to have you and you know my family loves you."

"I know, Ron." I said. "One year when I'm not so busy, I'll definitely come by."

"What did you do for Christmas Eve, then?" Ginny asked.

"Well, not too terribly much." I answered. "Draco and I decorated the flat, had a huge dinner and played some Scrabble."

"Malfoy played Scrabble?" Harry asked incredulously.

"So, what if I did, Potter?" Draco chimed in. "I even won."

"You beat Hermione in Scrabble?!" Harry asked. "Blimey, I didn't think anyone could do that!"

"He cheated." I said petulantly.

"Did not!" Draco protested. "There was nothing in the rules about spelling out spells!"

Ginny laughed. "Seems like you met your match, Hermione."

"Stupid Scrabble." I grumbled.

"Is it time for presents?" Ron asked, looking excitedly under the tree.

"I suppose so." Ginny said walking over to the tree. She grabbed a pile of presents and started to hand them out. "This was much easier when the presents appeared on the foot of the bed." She quipped. "We already exchanged presents last night at the Burrow, Hermione. So, these are just the ones for you." She explained.

I reached for a box that was wrapped in red. "That's from me!" Harry said. I opened it up to find a new quill.

I picked it up to admire it. It was very light and sparkled a little. "Oh Harry, it's beautiful!" I said. "This is the first year you haven't gotten me a book!"

Harry laughed. "Yeah, I figured it was time to change things up. And it's a top of the line quill. It's charmed to take notes for you and never need an ink well. Kind of like a ball point pen for wizards and witches."

"Thank you!" I said running over to give him a hug. I opened up the next package to find a new 2010 planner. It had a leather cover and had "Hermione" stitched into the bottom right corner.

"That's from me." Ron said smiling. "I know you like to keep track of your appointments and figured it went well with Harry's gift."

"Thank you, Ron. It's fabulous." I said as I gave him a hug as well.

"Mine next!" Ginny yelled as I reached for the box that was wrapped in silver paper with snowflakes on it.

I opened the box to find new hair accessories. There were a bunch of them in different colors and shapes. Some that sparkled and some that were brown and black for work. I picked them up and admired all of them. "These are great!" I squealed.

"With your new hairstyle, I figured you'd need more things for your hair." She said grinning ear to ear.

"Thanks Gin." I said as I hugged her. "Now it's time to open mine!"

I walked over to the tree and grabbed the 3 boxes handing them to each person. Ginny was the first one to open hers.

"Oh Hermione! This is beautiful and I really needed a new cloak!" She said looking at the embroidery. "I can wear this all the time!" She tried it on and spun around in it. "Thank you so much." She said as she gave me a hug.

Ron had opened his present to see a bunch of candy and sweets. "Oi Hermione! You always know just what to get me!" He said opening a package of chocolate frogs.

"Don't ruin your appetite!" Ginny admonished.

Ron bit into the frog. "Just one, don't worry. I can eat plenty." Ron quipped. "Thank 'Mione." He said through a mouth full of chocolate.

Harry opened his present and gasped. "Hermione! This is great!" He said looked at the quidditch supply kit. "But this is ridiculously expensive!" He said flipping the box over.

"Right, about that." I said as Harry looked up. "That's actually from Draco and me." I said as I blushed slightly.

"Really?" Harry looked at Draco.

"Hey, she wanted to buy you supplies and I know those are the best ones around." Draco said shrugging. "So, uh, Happy Christmas."

Harry looked skeptical at first but as he saw Draco fidget with what could only be considered a nice gesture, he smiled. "Thanks, mate." Harry said sincerely. Draco nodded in acknowledgment.

"Now Draco and Penny, don't think we forgot about you guys." Ginny said retrieving two more boxes. "These are from all of us."

Penny face lit up. "Oh you guys didn't have to!" She said as she opened her box. She lifted out a new set of stationary with a flower print on it. "Thank you!"

Draco looked slightly stunned as Ginny handed him his box. "Open it." I nudged him.

He opened the box and a small smile graced his face. He lifted out a dark green tie with a silver tie tack that was shaped like a dragon. "Thanks." He said softly as he looked at the tie tack.

"You're welcome!" Ginny said as she waved her wand and cleaned up the room of all its wrapping paper.

I smiled at how happy everyone was. No one seemed at all bothered having Draco here. Ron had his arm around Penny who seemed to be glowing. Harry and Ginny were cuddling on the couch whispering in each other's ears. And when I looked over at Draco, he seemed lost in his own world. But his face looked content. He looked over at me and caught me looking at him. I gave him a smile and he smiled back, putting his arm around me.

"Are we ready for dinner?" Ginny asked getting up.

We all followed her cue and walked into the dining room. The table was full of food; ham, mashed potatoes, string beans, stuffing, gravy. We all sat down and started to fill our plates.

"Hey Hemione." Ginny called out. "Are you going to the New Years Ministry ball?"

"Oh yea. I almost forgot about that." I said. Every year the Ministry had a ball on New Years Eve that lasted through midnight so we could all celebrate. It was the big event of the year and everyone who worked at the Ministry always showed up. "I suppose so."

"Great! Harry and I will be there too!" She said. "We need to talk about what we're going to wear!"

Ron rolled his eyes. "You girls and clothing. I'll never understand." He said.

"Don't you have something to ask me?" Penny said getting Ron's attention.

Ron looked over at her confused. "Like what?" He asked obviously not getting it.

Her eyebrows knitted a little as she tried to think of what to say. "About the ball…" She hinted.

"What about it?" He asked completely oblivious.

"Oh for Merlin's sake!" Ginny yelled. "Just ask her to the ball already!"

"Oh!" Ron said his cheeks going red. He looked over at her smiling face. "Do you want to go to the ball with me?" He asked.

"Oh yes!" Penny said delightedly. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and smiled at him. Ron turned a deeper shade of red.

"Is Malfoy going?" Ron asked trying to get the attention off of him.

It was my turn to blush a little. "Well, if the investigation isn't over, I don't imagine I have a choice." Draco responded looking at his mashed potatoes.

"I guess that's true." Ron said in between bites.

I looked over at Draco and saw that he was still playing with his food.

"Well, it'll be fun with the 6 of us." Ginny said trying to brighten the mood. "Although, I have to admit, I wouldn't have ever thought Draco would be here with us."

Everyone looked at her like she had sprouted two heads.

"Draco??" Harry sputtered. "Since when do you call him Draco?"

Ginny shrugged. "I figured if he can find it in him to call me by my first name, I can call him by his." She said nonchalantly.

I smiled at seeing how my friends were letting him in. I looked over at Draco to see a surprised look still on his face. Ginny had looked over at him to make sure it was alright and I saw Draco nod his head in consent. She smiled and raised her glass.

"To Christmas bringing everyone together!" She toasted.

We all lifted our glasses and clinked them with everyone around us.

After dinner, the pies we had brought with us were served and they were still as tasty as they were the night before. We had brought an apple pie, a pumpkin pie and a chocolate mousse pie. Soon we were all stuffed and found our way back to the living room.

As we sat around chatting, the conversation eventually led to work. "How's the investigation going anyway?" Penny asked.

We all shifted around uncomfortably. "It's going well. We're still working on it as our top priority." Harry answered.

"Whoever is doing this is really good at covering up their tracks." Ron added.

"Speaking of work however, I have something to give you Malfoy." Harry said as he got up. He returned quickly and handed a plain box to Draco.

Draco opened the box and took out a wand. "It's my mother's." He said fingering the wand

"Yea, we don't need it for the investigation anymore. I figured you would want it back though." Harry said quietly.

"Thanks Potter." Draco said as he put the wand back in the box. He put the box within the box that was holding his new tie.

"Okay, that's enough about work!" I said, trying to change the mood back to a happy one. "We're off for the week and let's act like it!"

Ginny smiled at me. "That's right!" She agreed.

We talked about our plans for the New Year and how much life has changed over the last 5 years. We chatted about how nice it was to be together and have this Christmas tradition. Draco even chimed in every so often. We laughed at our Hogwarts days and how far away they now seemed.

Before we knew it, it was getting late.

"I should probably be getting home." Penny said as she stood up.

Ron stood up, too. "I'll take you."

"I guess it's time for us to go as well." I said as I got up from the couch.

"I'm just going to use the loo real quick." Draco said.

"It's down the hall, third door on the right." Ginny said pointing down a hall way.

I went to get our jackets and Ginny followed me. We gathered everyone's jackets and outerwear when she decided to ask me questions I wasn't prepared for.

"So, what's going on with you and Draco?" She asked seriously.

"What? Nothing, Gin." I answered.

"Seriously? Because the two of you certainly look cozy." She said suspiciously. "Are you two falling for each other?"

"What?! No way!" I protested! I could feel the heat rising to my face. "There's no way I'd ever fall for Malfoy! We're just pretending!"

"It doesn't look like just pretending." She accused.

"Ginny, I don't like him, not like that." I said. I knew I was denying it too hard. I knew that my stomach was knotting up. Sure, maybe he was starting to grow on me but live with anyone long enough and they'd grow on you, too. And certainly, there's no way I'd admit to anyone that I might feel _something_ for the blond boy. I wouldn't live down the ridicule.

"Okay, well, there'd be nothing wrong with it if you did." She said as she left to give everyone their coats.

I sat there stunned. That's not what I was thinking she'd say. I was banking on teasing not acceptance. And besides, it was just a small crush, one that would certainly go away when this investigation was over and he went back to his pureblood life. I was so lost in thought that I never saw that same blond boy leave his spot by the door and walk away with a scowl on his face.

Eventually I came back to the room with my coat and handed Draco his jacket and scarf. He snatched it away from me and turned away.

We said our goodbyes and left the house. He walked in front of me not saying a word and when he got to the apparition point, he apparated without me. I apparated to my flat, confused about what was going on.

"Draco, what's wrong?" I asked as soon as I got home.

"Nothing that you would care about." He snarled as he turned towards me. He threw his jacket on the couch and went towards his room.

"What do you mean?" I asked running towards him. I grabbed his arm and he violently ripped it out of my hands.

"Look, once this investigation is over, I'll be gone. I don't need you. I don't even like being around you." He growled.

I took a step back shocked at his change of attitude. What had happened? "Draco…"

"Don't 'Draco' me, Granger." He hissed. "We're not in public, why bother using my first name anyway. I mean, why…why would anyone want to hang around someone like you anyway?"

I could feel tears starting to prick my eyes. I hadn't seen him this mean in a long time. His face started to soften when he saw the tears filling my eyes. Then his face got hard again as he seemed to remember something. "Yea, why don't you go cry about it, Granger." With that he turned around and slammed his bedroom door shut behind him.

The tears then started to fall as I ran into my room. Why would he say those awful things? I threw myself on the bed sobbing in my pillow. After a good ten minutes of crying I sat up. Fine, two can play at this game. If he wants it to be cold and cruel, well, he's not the only one who can do it. I resolved to not let him hurt me again. Fool me once, shame on you. And trust me, there was not going to be a twice. I changed and got into bed. I couldn't understand what happened to cause such a change in him. But one thing was for certain, Malfoy would not have the opportunity to hurt me again.

*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~

**A/N: Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you're all enjoying the story! **

**I have a question for you readers: would you prefer for me to continue to write fairly long chapters even though they take me a while to write. Or would you rather me write shorter chapters but update more often? Let me know and I'll see what I can do! **

**I'm hitting an interesting part of the story now and I'm still trying to figure out how I want to go about writing it. :-) ~Chrissy**


	10. Chapter 10

The next few days passed slowly. Neither one of us left my place but we didn't really talk either. I would get up early, make breakfast. And he would get up late and eat the leftover breakfast cold. He stayed in his room most of the time. I refused to talk to him; he was the one who owed me an apology! But he didn't talk to me either. In fact, he barely looked at me. It was downright chilly outside and in.

I was sitting in the living room, reading a book when a knock on the door caught my attention. I walked over and opened the door without thinking. My eyes went wide when I saw who was standing there.

"Hello." Goyle said. He looked ragged. He had a sweatshirt on and it looked like he hadn't shaved in several days. He raised his hands when he saw the alarm in my eyes. "I'm unarmed."

"What are you doing here?" I demanded. "How do you even know where I live?"

"Look, I came here to warn Draco." He said exasperated.

"What is all this racket about?" Draco said coming over to the door. As soon as he saw Goyle, his wand was out. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm not armed." Goyle repeated. "I came here to warn you. May I come in?"

I looked at Draco to see what he thought. For the first time in almost a week, he looked at me. I could see him weighing the risks but then he nodded.

I stood aside to let Goyle through and directed him to the living room. I grabbed my wand from the table and put it my pocket, just in case. He took a seat on the couch and Draco sat next to him. I chose to sit on the love seat. "So, what do you have to tell us?"

Goyle took a breath. "It's Pansy." He said quietly.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"It's Pansy. She's behind it." Goyle said. "Right before I was cursed at the funeral, I remember seeing her looking at me. I thought it was strange because she usually doesn't give me the time of day. The last thing I remember before being cursed is seeing her say something."

"But why would Pansy want to hurt me?" Draco asked. "She obviously still cares for me."

"I don't know." Goyle answered. "But I think it's her."

I crossed my arms. "I never liked that chit." I said. "Why come to tell us? I thought you were friends with the Notts."

Goyle looked at his hands. "I was. Until I figured out they cursed me!" He responded. "Merlin, even Draco never cursed me...or Crabbe. Abused us, used us, maybe. But cursed us?" He shook his head.

I looked at Draco and saw him taking it all in. "I suppose this means a trip to the Ministry. Will you come with us and tell them what you told us?"

Goyle nodded his head. I walked over to the floo and threw in some powder. "12 Grimmauld Place!" I yelled, sticking my head in the green flames. "Harry? Harry you around?"

"Hermione?" I saw Harry approach. "That you?"

"Yea. We need to meet at the Ministry. Now. We have a break in the case." I said quickly. "Can you gather everyone?"

I saw him reach for his robes. "I'll be right there. I'll let everyone know." He said walking out of the room. "See you in a few!"

"Bye Harry!" I said taking my head out of the floo. I looked at the two boys sitting on the couch. "Okay. Let's get to the Ministry."

I walked over to my room to grab my Ministry robes, grateful that I had already showered and dressed. When I came back out, Draco was standing there with his jacket on and both of them were next to the floo.

I grabbed some floo powder and threw it into the fireplace. "Ministry of Magic, Auror Department!" I yelled and I was soon walking out of the fireplace.

I waited in front of the fireplace and watched Goyle stumble through followed by Draco. I led the way to the conference room, happy to see everyone there. Ron looked disheveled, as if we woke him up from a nap. Seamus, Angelina, and Harry were sitting together. I saw everyone's eyebrows rise when they saw Goyle come in with us. As we sat down, I saw Goyle look around and then a realization came upon his face.

"You're working for the investigation!" He said looking pointedly at me.

I sighed. I had forgotten that it was supposed to be a secret. "Uh, well, you see, I'm not directly involved with the investigation." I said trying to get out of it. I could see everyone looking at me to see what I came up with. An idea came to my mind as I looked around. "You see, I am part of the department, but it was decided that I shouldn't be involved in this case due to my, uh, relationship, with Draco." I said emphasizing it by grabbing his hand. I felt him stiffen under my touch but he didn't pull away.

"Oh." Goyle said. "So then, why are you at this meeting?" He inquired.

"Well, since Draco is living with me, I had to be a little involved. I am helping protect him." I said smoothly.

"Oh, okay." Goyle said, looking convinced. "I guess that makes sense."

I saw everyone else smile and as we sat down Draco ripped his hand out of mine. I was a little startled but he didn't even look at me. I decided to let it go and start the meeting. "Goyle has something to tell us." I said opening the floor for him.

He repeated everything he told us and I saw everyone nodding their head and taking notes.

Harry stood up and extended his hand. "Thank you. This helps us a lot."

Goyle shook his hand. "You're welcome." He said. "Now what?"

"Well, that's all we need from you. Please see Penny at the desk outside. She has a copy of your statement and we'll need you to sign it. Also, we'll need you to keep quiet with this information. You will be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement as well." Harry said.

Goyle nodded. "Ok. I'll be on my way, then." He said as he left the room.

Harry closed the door behind him. He looked at me and smiled. "Nice cover up, by the way Hermione."

"Thanks." I said. "What do you think about the information?"

"I think it was good and the only lead we have right now." Harry responded.

"We need to come up with a plan to corner her." Angelina spoke up. Harry nodded in agreement.

"What about the New Years Eve ball?" Seamus said. "I don't know how they do it, but the Notts' are always there."

"Stupid wealthy bloke." Ron said. "He buys the tickets off of someone every year. Merlin knows why he would want to be at a Ministry event though."

"It's because of Pansy." Draco spoke up. "She sees it as a large social event and she needs to be at all the large social events."

"Okay, so they'll be at the ball tomorrow." Harry said. "Let's work with that."

"Who would be stupid enough to attack at an event full of Aurors?" I asked.

"Someone who was given a golden opportunity." Harry answered, a smile on his face.

"This doesn't sound like a plan I'm going to like, Potter." Draco scowled.

Harry looked over at him thoughtfully. "You'll never be in real trouble, Malfoy. Besides, Hermione will be with you."

I looked at Harry wearily. "So what's your plan, Harry?"

"Sometime after midnight, you two need to lure the Notts onto the balcony. Say you want to chat, anything. We'll have people hiding in the garden. All you need to do is to goad her into wanting to kill you." Harry explained. "And I'm sure that won't be hard with Hermione next to you."

Draco rolled his eyes. "That sounds like a stupid plan, Potter. I'm trying to get someone to want to kill me with Granger next to me and the supposed killer's husband next to her."

"Ok, do you think there would be a way to lure her out without Theo?" Harry asked.

"Yes, but I doubt Granger can be with me." Draco answered flatly.

"Of course I'll be with you!" I exclaimed. "I'm not letting you go out there with her alone!"

Draco eyed me carefully. "I don't particularly care what you want, Granger. Pansy won't go anywhere with _you_ so keep your frizzy head out of it." He sneered.

I was taken a bit momentarily but recovered quickly. "Listen you pale haired git, I am supposed to protect you, like I did the last time I saved your pathetic life!" I said scathingly.

His eyes narrowed and he glared at me. "The day I need protection from the likes of you, will be the day..."

"Okay, okay." Harry cut in with his hands in the air. "Look, while he has quite the way of saying it, Malfoy does have a point, Hermione."

I huffed. "Harry, it just doesn't seem like a good idea."

Harry came over and put his arm around me. I could have sworn I heard Draco growl. "We'll be on hand, at all times. No one will get hurt. And you need to make sure no one comes out and interrupts them, otherwise someone else might get hurt. Okay?" He asked, placating me.

"Fine." I said stubbornly.

"So, Malfoy, you need to tell us before you're going to go out alone with Pansy." Harry went on.

Draco nodded. "I'm sure I'll be next to _her_ the rest of the time." He said while pointing a finger at me. "I'll tell her to let you all know what's going on."

"Make sure it's after midnight." Harry continued. "There will be less people around and less likely anyone else might get hurt."

"That's easy enough. Pansy is always happy to get me alone." Draco smirked.

For some reason, that made my stomach tie in a knot.

"Harry and I will make sure we make our way to the gardens right after midnight." Angelina said. Harry nodded.

"Ron and I will make sure we are somewhere near the balcony doors after midnight." Seamus said trying to work out the plan.

"Make sure you don't look too conspicuous." I interjected.

Everyone nodded. "And make sure you have your coins at all times." Harry said. "This will be a primary mode of communication. When Malfoy leaves with Pansy, Hermione will send us all a message to get in our spots."

Everyone was quiet for a moment, thinking through the plan.

Draco shook his head. "It still doesn't make sense that it would be Pansy." He said.

"Still mooning over your ex, Malfoy?" I said bitingly.

"Shut it, Granger." He shot back. "I'm just saying that it doesn't make sense that someone who claims to still have feelings for you wants to kill you."

Harry nodded. "Look, if we're wrong, nothing happens. But it's the best lead we've got."

"Harry's right." I said. I gave a look to Draco that said, _as always_ and I heard him scoff.

"Okay, I'll see everyone tomorrow night at the ball." Harry said.

"You two seem a little tense, everything okay?" Angelina asked worriedly.

"Bloody fantastic." Draco muttered.

"Why don't you two go out or something?" She suggested. "I was just reading an article wondering about you two. Something about not seeing you since Christmas."

I heard Draco swear. I sighed. "Right, of course. We'll go out tonight." I said resigned to my fate.

We left the conference room and floo'd back to my flat.

"Look Malfoy." I started and he turned around to look at me. "We need to get along. I don't know what happened at Christmas but until we figure this out, we need to work together."

He nodded his head and sat on the couch. I heard him mutter under his breath, "I can't wait to go back to my life." He put his head in his hands.

"Do you want to tell me what has you so angry with me?" I inquired.

"No." He shot back quickly.

"Draco..." I said, trying to make peace.

"Look. I don't want to tell you anything. I'll be civil for the rest of this charade." He said quickly. "But that's the best you're getting."

I lifted my hands. "Fine. That's fine with me." I sat down next to him. I felt him stiffen as my arm brushed against his. All of the sudden I felt like a teenage girl again. I wrung my hands together and I could feel Draco looking at me from the corner of his eyes.

"Do you want something, Granger?" He asked sarcastically.

"Oh, uh, no." I said, still staring at my hands. What did I want to say anyway? That the silence has been killing me? That I missed the way we were at Christmas? That I missed...him? Of course I couldn't say any of that.

In the end, I decided not to say anything and I reached over for the remote. I felt him relax as I turned on the television. "So, where do you want to go for dinner?" I asked casually.

"Don't worry about that, Granger." He looked over at me. "I always know where to go."

I nodded and didn't say anything else.

We watched some sitcom about some family with some kind of drama for a half an hour before he got up from the couch. "We should get ready." He said walking towards his room. "We should leave in about half an hour."

I looked at my watch and was surprised to see that it was 6pm. I got up and ran over to my room and started to get ready. If I knew Draco, and for some reason I felt like I really did, he was taking me somewhere nice. I put on a black skirt and an emerald green velvet top. I put my hair up in a messy bun and grabbed a black purse that I put my wand and other things in.

I walked out and saw Draco already standing there in a white button down with a black jacket and pants. I grabbed my coat and walked over to him. "Floo or apparating?" I asked.

"Apparating." He responded holding his arm out.

I walked over and latched onto his arm. A familiar pull, a little bit of dizziness and I found myself standing in front of a busy restaurant.

"Let's get this over with." I heard Draco say as he pulled me to the hostess.

The hostess looked at us and without saying a word, showed us to a table. We sat down and were handed menus.

"You know, this might be a little better if you weren't so grumpy." I pointed out.

Draco looked up and put his hand on his head as if he had a headache. "Look, Granger." He said quietly. "If you could just be quiet for the rest of dinner, the evening would go much better." With that, he looked back down at the menu.

"What happened to being civil?" I challenged.

"This is me being civil." He responded not even looking up.

I harrumphed but continued to look at my menu. What was his problem anyway? And just when I thought the night couldn't get worse, it did.

"Draco! Hermione!" I heard a voice yell out. I turned around to see Blaise making his way to us. And it looked like he was being tailed by Astoria.

"For the love of Merlin." I muttered under my breath. Draco looked up and I saw him wipe the scowl off his face.

"Blaise." Draco nodded when they reached the table.

I nodded my head as well. "Hello." Blaise was dressed in a navy suit and Astoria was in a black dress looking decidedly uncomfortable.

"Funny running into you guys here." Blaise said with a big smile.

"A riot." I heard Astoria mumble behind him.

"How was your Christmas?" Blaise asked.

"Good." Draco said. "It was a nice holiday. Yours?"

"It was fantastic!" Blaise answered. "Astoria...surprised me over the holiday." He continued. "She came over and showed me what I was missing." He winked at her and she rolled her eyes.

"That's lovely to hear." I responded. "Draco and I spent a lot of quality time together. It was a wonderful time for us." I smiled at him and he nodded his head.

"Are you going to the Ministry ball?" Blaise asked. "My last case was for a Ministry worker who can't make it so gave me the tickets."

"Of course, we are." I answered.

"Great! I guess we'll see you tomorrow." Blaise said. His arm was currently being tugged on by Astoria. She obviously didn't want to stay any longer. "Our table is ready, so have a good night." He said as he walked away, his arm around Astoria's waist.

As soon as he was out of eye sight, I dropped the smile that I had plastered on my face. I looked at Draco to see a scowl set firmly on his face.

"I guess he got back together with Astoria." I said.

"Obviously. You're quire astute tonight, aren't you Granger?" He said dismissively.

I narrowed my eyes at him and picked the menu back up.

The rest of dinner passed in silence. We attempted to look happy for the on lookers but neither of us talked or looked at each other for the rest of the night.

We apparated back to my flat afterwards where he went straight to his room. "G'night Granger." He said over his shoulder as his door closed.

I went into my room and got ready for bed. I sat in bed wondering what happened in the last few days. He was a right fine bugger tonight. Did I really miss him? Draco Malfoy? What did that mean? What about when the case was over? Did I...care about him? Like him even? I scoffed at the thought but it slowly dawned upon me that maybe it wasn't as far-fetched as I had initially thought it was. I fell asleep, my eyebrows furrowed, confused by what I was feeling.


	11. Chapter 11

I decided to wear my green robes that Draco had bought me for Pansy's Christmas ball. I carefully did my hair so that it was up in curls, with soft tendrils of hair framing my face. I applied my make up perfectly and sighed when I looked into the mirror. I looked beautiful. And I felt like I didn't have anyone to look beautiful for. I put on the jewelry set that Draco had bought me and put my wand into my robe.

I tried to figure out what I would say to Draco tonight. I wanted to clear the air. The lack of talking was starting to get to me. Even I had to admit that he was growing on me and I missed what we were – whatever that was. I didn't know what had happened, but I certainly wanted to find out, prior to midnight. Before he talked to Pansy and perhaps walked out of my life for the last time.

I left for the living room and saw Draco waiting there in a black set of dress robes. He had decided to wear a dark green bow tie that matched my dress perfectly. He smiled when he saw me, the first I had seen in over a week. He seemed to be remembering the last time I had wore these robes.

"Are you ready then?" He asked back to his cold demeanor.

"Yes, let's floo to the Ministry." I saw grabbing a handful of floo powder.

We arrived at the Ministry and went towards the ballroom. There were tons of people waiting in line to get in. Everyone was dressed in their finest and was chatting excitedly. It was tradition to be announced as you came into the room so the line wasn't moving too quickly. They had to check invitations as there were always people trying to sneak in.

We finally made it to the door and the man looked at the two of us wearily. We handed him the invitation and he nodded. "Miss Hermione Granger accompanied by Mr. Draco Malfoy." He announced, putting the Ministry worker ahead of the date.

Draco gave me his arm as we saw everyone turn around to watch us enter the room. We put on our smiles and looked like the couple everyone was expecting. Some people smiled, others looked to be scowling but already I knew we would be up for examination. It was the first time outside of pureblood circles that we had come out as an "official" couple.

"Draco, I know we haven't been getting along recently…" I started to say when I saw Harry and Ginny coming towards us. I cursed in my head their lousy timing but put a smile on my face.

"Later." He said as they got to us.

"Hello Hermione! Draco!" Ginny said as she gave each of us a hug. I watched Draco flinch at the contact but he managed to pat her back and not look to awkward.

"Hi guys!" I said hugging Harry as well. "You both look great!" They did with Harry wearing his black dress robes with a red bow tie that matched Ginny's red dress that went to her ankles. Her dress had sequence in it that made it shimmer in the light. Surprisingly, she had finally found a shade of red that wouldn't clash with her hair.

"Malfoy." Harry said in Draco's direction.

Draco nodded his head. "Good evening to you both."

"You look amazing Hermione!" Ginny said. "And holy cow, are those real?!" She said staring at my necklace. I watched her eyes go from my necklace to my earrings down to my bracelet.

"Of course they are. My girl wouldn't wear anything less." Malfoy said putting his nose in the air for emphasis.

Ginny's eyes went wide. "Merlin…" She breathed.

Harry cleared his throat and Ginny snapped out of it. "Oh, sorry Harry! Of course everything you buy me is fabulous as well." She recovered.

Harry rolled his eyes but smiled at the attempt. "Anyway, are you ready for tonight, Malfoy?"

"Of course, Potter." Draco answered.

"Mr. and Mrs. Theodore and Pansy Nott." Everyone heard announced. We all looked around to see the couple entering the room. Draco tensed a little and I grabbed his hand. He tensed even more then seemed to hold my hand tighter.

Pansy was wearing a gold set of dress robes with jewels hanging off of her neck and both wrists. I couldn't help but scrunch up my nose at how blatantly gaudy she looked. Theo was next to her wearing a formal set of black dress robes with a gold bow tie and he seemed to be whispering in her ear.

"Remember, not until after midnight." Harry reminded Draco. "The less people, the better."

"I'm aware, Potter." Draco responded. "I was paying attention yesterday."

"Is everyone here?" I asked Harry.

"Yes, Ron and Penny arrived with us. And Angelina and Seamus arrived right before you." He said looking back at me. "Blaise and Astoria are here already as well."

"Any everything is ready?" I asked, making sure everything was in place.

"Yes, everyone is accounted for and we all know our places." Harry assured me. "Nothing will go wrong."

I nodded while I looked around the room for everyone. I saw Ron and Penny talking to Seamus and Angelina by the food and I saw Blaise and Astoria next to the punch bowl. I felt Draco pull at my hand and I looked up at him.

"We should go say hello to Blaise." He said as if he was reading my mind.

"Very well." I answered. "I'll see you two later." I called out as we started to walk away.

We walked over to Blaise and Astoria. Blaise was wearing a set of navy blue dress robes with a black bow tie and Astoria was wearing a floor length black dress which showed more than ample cleavage. I couldn't help but feel embarrassed for her.

"Hello Blaise. Astoria." Draco said politely as we came up next to them.

"Hello mate." Blaise answered. "Hermione. It's great to see the two of you."

"Charmed, as always." Astoria answered in a bored voice.

The man behind the punch bowl gave me two cups of punch and I handed one to Draco. "Good evening." I said demurely.

"They really outdid themselves this year." Blaise said as he looked around the room.

I took a good look at the room for the first time and realized that Blaise was right. The room was full of floating candles and it looked like giant snowflakes were hanging from the ceiling. There were silver streamers running across the walls and gold drapes adorning the windows. It was really beautiful.

"They did." I agreed.

"Any New Year Resolutions?" Blaise asked.

Draco scoffed. "Like I ever do any of those things."

I smirked when I heard Draco's answer. For some reason, he never seemed the type to resolve to do anything, especially anything he didn't want to do. "I've been so busy, I haven't really been able to think of any." I answered.

Just then, the music started up and people started to get on the dance floor.

"Blaise, let's dance." Astoria whined, pulling on his sleeve.

"Ok, dear." He answered. "You two should join us." He said as he nodded towards the dance floor.

"Fine." Draco said, grabbing my hand and leading me roughly towards the dance the floor.

They started with a waltz and once again I felt myself being twirled around by a very good dancer. It was nice to dance with someone who knew what they were doing and I could just go along with it. Back leading got tiresome after a while. I stayed silent this time, trying to think about what I would tell when I finally got the chance. I racked my brain but really couldn't come up with a good way to broach the subject. We danced 3 more dances, every so often, passing someone we knew and smiling at them when we could.

We were leaving the dance floor when I decided to go or it. Now or never, right? It was already 11:30pm and I was running out of time. "Can we got outside for a bit?" I asked. "I'm really quite warm."

He nodded his head and walked towards the balcony. The same one that I knew was in the plans to get him alone with Pansy. I shivered as we walked out into the cold air but it also sobered me up to what I was about to do. He walked to the railing and looked out over the gardens as if he was trying to avoid looking at me.

I came up next to him and took a deep breath. "Look, Draco, what has happened between us?" I asked nervously.

I saw him look at me from the corner of his eye and then shrug. "There was never an 'us', Granger."

I flinched slightly. "I don't believe that." I responded defiantly. I heard him sigh and he turned towards me.

"What in the bloody hell are you talking about?" He said quietly. "We've been pretending, that's all."

"It hasn't really felt like pretending to me." I said resolutely. "And I miss…well…whatever was happening." I looked up at him and saw his eyes widen slightly. I could see him going through some thoughts as if trying to make sense of some things.

"But what about what you said to Ginny?" He asked cautiously. "On Christmas."

I racked my brain to think of what he could be referring to. "I don't understand…"

"I overheard you and Ginny talking at the end of the night. You said that you didn't like me like that." He said slowly.

The realization then hit me. He had heard me absolutely denouncing any feelings I might have had for him. "Oh, Draco, I was just confused." I said trying to smooth it over. "I wasn't sure what was going on with us and I was kind of scared about the whole thing."

"And what about now?" He said.

"I don't know, Draco. All I know is that I have missed you. And whatever we were, whatever we were leading to, I want to be there again." I said as I shivered from the cold or from putting my feelings on the table, I wasn't sure.

He wrapped his arms around me. "I thought you were just pretending. That you were playing with me for the sake of this case." He said into my hair. "I wanted to distance myself from you because I thought it would make it easier when this whole thing was over."

I shook my head. "I wasn't playing, Draco. Whether or not it was supposed to be pretend, I know now that it was certainly real." I don't know how long we stood like that but it was comforting and warm and I was fairly certain that I had no desire to move.

"We're going to start the countdown!" I heard someone yell from the doorway.

I sighed. "I suppose we should head back in, huh?"

He nodded his head. "Let's go then." He grabbed my hand and we walked back towards the door.

We moved back into the ballroom and saw the Minister standing at the podium. "Thank you all for coming here tonight! Thank you for all your hard efforts and here's to a fantastic new year!" He said as waiters started walking around with trays of champagne. Draco and I grabbed one and the Minster raised his glass. "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5…" We all counted along with him. "4,3,2,1,Happy New Year!!"

Confetti fell from the ceiling covering all of us. Draco spun me around to him and before I knew it, his lips were on mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck careful to not spill any champagne. When he let go, he whispered in my ear, "Happy New Year, Hermione."

I smiled, clinked my glass against his and we both took a long sip. Merlin, I had missed him. "Happy New Year, Draco."

I saw Ginny, Harry, Ron, and Penny making their way over to us from behind Draco's back. I disengaged myself from Draco's arm as they got to us.

"Happy New Year!" I said to them, beaming.

Ginny looked at me with a knowing smile and gave me a hug. "It's about time." She said in my ear.

I blushed but I nodded my head. "I know." I replied softly.

"Happy New Year!" Ron said, hugging me and Ginny.

Everyone hugged each other and talked about their plans for the New Year.

We all talked for a few more minutes and saw that the ballroom was starting to lose some people. Harry looked at us and said, "I think I'm going to grab Angelina and take a stroll through the garden."

We all nodded knowing that was the cue to get into our places. Ron sought out Seamus while Penny and Ginny tried to round people up away from the balcony.

I looked around and saw Pansy standing by the punch bowl by herself. I knew this was an opportune moment. "Please, be careful." I said to Draco.

"Of course I will." He said with a cocky smile. He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it. "This will be all over and we won't have to pretend anymore." My smile faltered at the thought that he still wanted to be free of me. "Then I can kiss you and you'll know I mean it." My smile quickly recovered and I grinned ear to ear.

"I'm looking forward to that." I said.

He walked away from me and I walked closer to the balcony doors trying to stay out of sight but able to see what was going on. He walked over to Pansy and I saw her beam at the attention. She practically latched onto his arm and smiled up at him as if he was a god to be worshipped. He motioned to the balcony and she readily agreed practically skipping and holding his arm tight against her body. It made me want to vomit.

They walked out to the balcony and I saw her flirt with him heavily. She was leaning against him and talking animatedly. Something didn't seem right. If she wanted to kill him, why would she be so obviously craving his attention. Wouldn't she be nervous? Wouldn't she be trying to get her wand out? Maybe Draco was right. Maybe it wasn't her. I was about to go find Ron or Seamus when I felt someone grab my arm.

"Hermione." Theo's voice said in my ear. "Would you please accompany me while I fetch my wife from your boyfriend." He said a little forcefully as he pulled me out onto the balcony.

He was holding onto my arm roughly as I realized that we had the wrong person. "Pansy, darling. I'm shocked to see you out here all alone with Draco here. Hermione and I were getting worried." He said in an overly saccharine voice. "You must know that it looks terribly improper for my wife to be hanging all over someone else's boyfriend."

Draco's eyes got wide as he saw me being held by Theo. Pansy jumped back away from Draco when I could've sworn she said something along the lines of "Run!"

"Goyle!" Theo called out and suddenly Goyle was there and he had stupefied Pansy. She fell unceremoniously to the ground with a thud. Goyle then pointed his wand at Draco while Theo jabbed his wand in my back. "All this time, you've always had Pansy. Always. Now, it's my turn to take something you love." He said as I felt him turn and the feeling of side along apparating took over.

I looked around as I was roughly thrown on to the floor. "Accio wand!" I heard Theo say as my wand flew out of my robes and into his hand. "I'm sorry you got caught up in this, but I'm afraid Draco deserves it and it doesn't matter who is caught in the crossfire." He said as he summoned chains around me. I realized that I was in a bedroom and he had chained me to the bed. I started to scream but he quickly put a silencing charm on the room. "Tut, tut. Now that's not going to get you anywhere."

"What are you going to do with me?" I asked defiantly. "Draco will find me."

"Your optimism is overwhelming but I highly doubt that. I'm going to take away from Draco what he never let me have in my marriage." He said as an evil smirk graced his face. "Someone that loves him."

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**A/N: I hope you all are enjoying the story. Sorry this chapter is kind of short but I wanted to get something in before Christmas. I'm thinking that I should be able to finish this up in a chapter or two, maybe even put in an epilogue. The upcoming events are still floating around in my head and are not quite solid yet. Please review and let me know what you think! ~Chrissy**


	12. Chapter 12

I quickly realized that I needed to keep him talking. If I could keep him talking, he wouldn't do anything rash.

"Why?" I asked.

He looked over at me. "Why what?"

"Why me? You obviously tried to kill Draco at first. Why did your plans change?" I inquired.

"Ah. You see, I did indeed try to kill him first. And it was quite unfortunate that his mother got in the way." He said as he smiled while reflecting back. "But then he found you. And I eventually realized how much you meant to him. I decided that it would be much more painful to lose you than to actually kill him." He explained.

"But Pansy married you, why are you so angry?" I asked quickly.

"Ha! Pansy! She only married me because she thought I was a pushover. And she was right. I would've given her everything she could ever want. But she never stopped loving _him_" he said with venom. "She always stared at him, compared me to him, fantasized about him. She would call out his name in her sleep." He looked like he was pained just saying this. "She never loved me. No matter what I gave her. No matter how much I loved her. It was never enough."

I tried to quickly change the subject seeing how mad he was getting talking about her. "But what about Goyle?" I asked while cocking my head to the side trying to look like I was intently listening.

"Ah, Goyle. He has always been bitter about Crabb's death. He blamed Draco. So, when I asked him to go along with my plan he readily agreed." He chuckled at this. "He even agreed to be impreious'd and blame Pansy for it."

"Why blame Pansy? I asked trying to come up with questions as best as I could.

"I needed you alone, Hermione. I wouldn't have been able to take you if Potter or Draco were at your side."

He walked away from me and over to a dresser. He looked at himself in the mirror and seemed to be fixing his hair. I kept trying to think of something I could do to get me out of this. I placed my hands on my robes when I felt something in my pocket. I stealthily put my hand in the small pocket and felt something round. The coin! But how did it get there? I know I didn't take it from the apartment. I thought back through the night. Someone must have put it in my pocket. I smiled to myself. If only I could figure out where we were.

"You know, Theo, you seem very confident that no one will find us." I said smoothly, trying to weasel information out of him. "I imagine we're not at one of your estates then."

Theo laughed. "Of course, not!" He turned back towards me. "I don't suppose you'd remember this place but you were here before." He said slyly.

I was here before? I looked around the room. The bed was ornately made up of greens and silvers and the room was spotless. It was tastefully decorated, so I knew Pansy hadn't been here. There was a dark oak dresser and a large window.

"I don't understand." I said, trying to figure out where I could be.

Theo smirked. "Silly mudblood. Don't you remember the War? Don't you remember the cruciatus curse?"

I gasped. "The Manor?! We're at Malfoy Manor?!"

Theo smiled. "Ah, I knew you weren't the brightest witch of our generation for nothing. I brought you to the last place they'd look for you. So, I suppose, it's about time to finish the job." Theo said as he raised his wand at me.

Just as I cringed, waiting for the spell to hit me, we heard something fall outside the door.

"What was that?" He asked, spinning towards the door. "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere." He smirked, chuckling at his joke since he knew I was bound.

He left the room and I took the opportunity to grab the coin in my pocket. "Malfoy Manor. Hurry." I wrote on the coin and felt it become warm in my hand, knowing that the message was sent out. I quickly put the coin back in my pocket as Theo came back in the room.

"It was only a broom that had fallen over outside the doorway. You do know, we're in Draco's bedroom." Theo said as he entered, leaving the door open to the hallway.

I looked around. Draco's bedroom?! What a lunatic, to want to kill me in Draco's own room! Theo smiled as he saw the realization hit me. "Quite fitting, don't you think?" He said as if he was satisfied with his plan.

He faced me again, and an evil smile crossed his face. "Okay, enough of this chit chat." He said while raising his wand at me again. "Any messages you would like me to relay to Draco before you die?"

I opened my mouth when I heard another voice from behind Theo. "She can tell me herself!"

Theo gasped and spun around just as I saw a red flash and then Theo was laying on the floor. Draco, Harry, Ron, Angelina and Seamus all rushed into the room. Draco ran over to me and wrapped his arms around me. The others all went to secure Theo.

"Are you okay?" He asked, looking for any injuries. "I can't believe the sick git would bring you to _my_ room!"

"I'm fine." I said smiling. "But I could do without the chains."

Harry then came over and got rid of my bindings. "Are you ok?" He asked with a concerned look on his face. "Thank Merlin you had your coin on you."

"Actually, that's the strange part. I'm almost certain I forgot it." I said looking at Harry.

"You did." Draco said. "And I slipped it into your pocket while we were dancing. Just in case."

"Good thinking, Malfoy." Harry said appreciatively.

Just then, Ron came over. "Theo's secure, Harry." He looked at me. "Blimey, Hermione. We were going crazy trying to figure out where you were. We checked all Theo's estates. And we questioned Pansy but she didn't know anything. Goyle said he was imperious'd."

"Don't believe him!" I said quickly. "Theo told me Goyle has been in on it this entire time."

Harry looked at me in disbelief. "Seriously?" He asked. I nodded my head. "Seamus!"

"I'm on it, Harry!" Seamus said as he overheard us. "Angelina and I will go track him down." With a pop they apparated away.

"Malfoy, why don't you take Hermione home? We'll have you do a report tomorrow, I mean, on the 2nd, okay?" Harry said.

I nodded. "Okay, that sounds good."

"We'll take in Theo for some questioning." Harry said as he and Ron levitated Theo's stupefied body off the ground.

"You heard him." Draco said grabbing my arm. "Let's take you home."

We turned and apparated back into my living room. As soon as we were standing in front of my couch Draco wrapped his arms around me. "I have never been that scared in my entire life and that is saying a lot." He said in my hair.

"Well, it turned out all right and we caught your mother's murderer." I said into his chest.

He took a step back and looked at me. "We did. But the cost was almost way too high."

I smiled. "But at least now you can go back home."

"I don't think I'll ever be able to go back to the Manor and live in that room again." He shuddered as he thought about it. "For Merlin's sake, he almost killed you a foot from my bed!"

"Then where will you go?" I asked.

"Well, actually, I was thinking of staying here in London." He said with a small smile. "Maybe not too far from here."

I smiled back. "Well, you're welcome to stay here until you find a place." I offered. "It would be nice to have you close by."

"Yes. Quite nice." He agreed. He then took a step closer to me and bent his face down towards mine. He kissed me soundly and I could feel myself go weak in the knees. When he pulled away from me, he smiled down at me. "Does this mean, no more pretending?"

I nodded. "No more pretending."

"So, you're really my girlfriend?" He prodded.

I smiled widely. "Yes, I'm really your girlfriend."

He smiled back. "Good." And with that he lowered his lips to mine and kissed me again.


	13. Epilogue

_Five Years Later_

"Hurry up, Hermione! We're going to be late!" Draco yelled from my living room.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" I said as I rushed around my room, grabbed my purse and ran into the living room. "We're only going to Harry's!"

"I know. But you know how James and Lily get when we're late…and it'll only be worse since it's Christmas!" He explained as he helped me get my coat on.

It was true. James and Lily were Harry and Ginny's 3 ½ year old twins. And they were always impatient, especially if gifts were involved.

"Well, at least he opened his floo up and it won't take as long to get there." I rationalized. I grabbed some floo powder when I felt Draco's arms around me.

"You look beautiful, though." He said as I blushed. "I always love the color green on you."

"You're not too bad yourself, you know." I said as I kissed him quick on the lips. "But we better go."

I turned around and stepped into the fireplace. Soon enough I was stepping out of Harry's fireplace with Draco right behind me.

"Aunt Hermy! Uncle Draco!" James and Lily ran up to us. "You're late!" They chastised.

"I'm sorry kids. We really tried though." I said as I patted them on the head.

Ginny walked in, her belly swollen with baby number 3. "Hello Hermione. Draco." She said giving each of us a hug.

"Happy Christmas, Ginny." I said as she took our jackets.

"'Mione!" Harry said as he walked in to the room. "Malfoy!" He said with a smile.

"Hello Potter. Happy Christmas to you." Draco said shaking Harry's hand.

"Happy Christmas, Harry." I said giving him a hug.

"Ron and Penny are in the other room." Harry said as he took us to the living room. The kids ran in front of us arguing about who got to play with what toys first.

"Hello you two!" I said as I gave them hugs.

"Hello 'Mione. Malfoy." Ron said as he shook Draco's hand.

"Happy Christmas!" Penny piped up.

We all sat down and Ginny came in with some warm cider. The kids took their steaming mugs and started to play on the carpet in the middle of the floor.

"Before we go to dinner, there's something I'd like to say." Draco said as he stood up. I looked up at him curiously, not aware of any announcements.

He then kneeled in front of me and took out a small box. I gasped. And I heard the other two women giggle. "Hermione, over the last five years, we have been together for the good and the bad. We have had our rows and some incredible memories. I knew from the New Years Day five years ago that I almost lost you and I never wanted to lose you ever again." He opened the box to reveal a massive diamond solitaire with an emerald on one side and a ruby on the other. "Will you make me the luckiest man alive and marry me?"

I could feel the tears in my eyes and I tried my best to keep them from falling. I looked down at Draco and saw him looking up with me with a hopeful expression. "Of course, I will." I said as he placed the ring on my finger and he pulled me into a hug.

"Aww!" Lily yelled. "They're gettin' mawwied!"

Ginny ran over to me and gave me a huge hug. "Congrats!" She squealed. She took my hand. "He certainly has good taste." She said with a wink.

I saw Harry and Ron shaking Draco's hand and Penny came over to give me a hug,

"I have to say, it's about time." Harry said with a smile as he hugged me. Ron followed suit and James and Lily even hugged us, too.

I smiled at everyone and Draco took my hand. He lifted it up to his mouth and kissed it. "My beautiful fiancée." He whispered over my hand. I felt my knees go weak and I smiled brightly at him.

"No more pretending." I said as he let go of my hand.

He smiled as he leaned over and whispered in my ear, "we'll never have to."

The End.

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**A/N: Well, there is. All done. Hope you enjoyed the story. Lets see if I can think of my next one...**


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